HAMDEN, Conn. — The Sacred Heart University men's basketball team earned its fifth straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) victory on Friday night, defeating Quinnipiac, 98–91, on the road at M&T Bank Arena. Four Pioneers scored in double figures, highlighted by Mekhi Conner's standout performance of 17 points and a career-high–tying 16 assists for a double-double.

Records
Sacred Heart: 10–13 (6-6 MAAC)
Quinnipiac: 14-9 (7-5 MAAC)

Leaders
Anquan Hill: 26 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks
Nyle Ralph-Beyer: 24 points, 8 rebounds
Dashon Gittens: 19 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Mekhi Conner: 17 points, 16 assists, 8 rebounds

How It Happened
Sacred Heart came out firing from beyond the arc, knocking down 11 three-pointers in the opening half. The Pioneers shot 52.4% (11-for-21) from three-point range and 51.6% (16-for-31) from the field in the first 20 minutes.

After trading baskets early, SHU trailed by two, 15–13, at the 15:56 mark before Nyle Ralph-Beyer connected on a three-pointer to spark an 11–0 run, giving the Pioneers a 24–15 advantage.

Sacred Heart maintained the lead for several minutes until a Quinnipiac layup cut the margin to one, 36–35, at 7:13. Another Ralph-Beyer triple briefly extended the lead, but the Bobcats responded with a 10–0 run to go ahead, 47–41. An Anquan Hill three with 1:35 remaining pulled SHU within two, though Quinnipiac closed the half with a free throw to take a 50–47 lead into the break.

The second half featured a tightly contested back-and-forth battle, with neither team leading by more than five until the final seconds. Conner and Dashon Gittens helped fuel the Pioneers down the stretch.

Quinnipiac opened the half with a quick five-point cushion, but Hill and Ralph-Beyer attacked the basket to knot the score at 53–53. After the Bobcats regained a brief edge, back-to-back three-pointers from Ralph-Beyer and Hill put Sacred Heart back in front, 59–55, with 16:31 to play.

The teams continued to trade leads late. Trailing by three at 4:33, Conner converted a layup and completed the three-point play to tie the game at 79–79. Quinnipiac again pushed ahead by five with 3:13 remaining, but Sacred Heart responded with eight unanswered points to take an 89–86 lead with 1:21 left.

In the final minute, the Bobcats pulled within one, but clutch free throws from Conner and Farell sealed the 98–91 road victory for the Pioneers.

Of note:

• The game featured 16 lead changes and seven ties.
• Conner recorded his third double-double of the season, as his 16 assists tied a career high, while his 12 free throws made set a new career best.
• Hill scored 20 or more points for the sixth time this season, knocking down a career-high five three-pointers.
• Ralph-Beyer reached the 20-point mark for the fourth time this season.
• Gittens missed just one shot from the field and one free throw attempt, finishing 6-for-7 from the floor, a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range, and 3-for-4 at the free-throw line. His four made threes matched a career high.

Up Next
Sacred Heart returns to action on Sunday, Feb. 1, traveling to Merrimack for a 1 p.m. tip-off.