FAIRFIELD, Conn. — The Sacred Heart University men's basketball team returns to the Pitt Center for its first home game of 2026 on Friday, Jan. 9, hosting Marist at 7 p.m.

LIVE STATS | ESPN+ | GAME NOTES

OPENING TIP

• Sacred Heart and Marist meet for the 15th time overall, but just the second in the programs' Division I eras. The Pioneers hold a 13–1 advantage in the all-time series and defeated the Red Foxes in their first MAAC meeting last season.
• SHU enters the matchup following an 82–78 road loss at Canisius on Sunday, while Marist is coming off a dominant 83–38 win over Iona.
• Yann Farell scored a game-high 22 points to lead four Pioneers in double figures at Canisius. Dashon Gittens added 15 points, while Jaden Slaughter (11) and Abdou Yadd (10) also reached double figures. Sacred Heart led for much of the contest before Canisius rallied late to secure the win.
• Gittens ranks seventh in the MAAC in scoring at 15.2 points per game, while Nyle Ralph-Beyer sits 15th at 12.6 ppg. Sacred Heart ranks fifth in the conference in scoring offense (74.8 ppg) and leads the MAAC in three-pointers made per game (10.4).
• Four Pioneers are averaging double figures this season: Gittens (15.2 ppg), Anquan Hill (14.9 ppg), Ralph-Beyer (12.6 ppg), and Farell (11.1 ppg).
• SHU was picked third in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll and led the league with three preseason All-MAAC selections: Hill (First Team), Mekhi Conner (Second Team), and Ralph-Beyer (Third Team).
• Sacred Heart returns nine players from last year's roster and welcomes two transfers (Gittens and Farell) along with four first-year players.
• The Pioneers are in their second season in the MAAC after a strong debut campaign that included a seventh-place finish, and a conference tournament win over Fairfield to advance to the quarterfinals.
• Sacred Heart features three student-athletes from Africa: Fallou Gueye, Farell, and Yadd.
• The program is celebrating its 60th season of men's basketball.
• Head coach Anthony Latina is in his 13th season at the helm.

SCOUTING MARIST   

• Marist is 3-2 in MAAC play so far. They have defeated Mount, Manhattan, and Iona but have lost to Saint Peter's and Quinnipiac.
• Elijah Lewis (13.1), Rhyjon Blackwell (12.9), and Justin Menard (10.1) are averaging double figures for Marist.
• Marist was selected fifth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

LAST TIME OUT

• Sacred Heart saw a strong first-half effort slip away in the second half, falling 82–78 to Canisius on Sunday afternoon.
• Farell led four Pioneers in double figures with a season-high 22 points. Gittens (15), Slaughter (11), and Yadd (10) all contributed with double-figure performances.
• Sacred Heart led for the majority of the contest and carried a 41–34 advantage into halftime, but Canisius outscored the Pioneers 48–37 after the break to secure the victory.
• The Pioneers changed up their starting lineup ahead of the matchup, highlighted by the first career start for Lucius Gibson-Savadel.

INSIDE THE RANKINGS

• Sacred Heart's offense ranks fifth in the MAAC at 74.8 points per game.
• The Pioneers lead the conference with 167 made three-pointers, averaging 10.4 per game, tied for 31st nationally.
• SHU also sits 18th in the country in three-point attempts per game (30.3).
• Gittens is seventh in the MAAC in scoring at 15.2 ppg. He owns the fourth-best field-goal percentage in the conference at 53.5%.
• Ralph-Beyer is 15th in scoring at 12.6 points per game. His 44.83% 3PT FG percentage is ranked 25th in the country.
• Farell (.456) and Ralph-Beyer (.448) are third and fifth, respectively, in the MAAC in three-point percentage.
• Conner is second in the conference with 5.6 assists per game, which is 37th nationally, and he holds the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the MAAC at 2.2. His 90 assists rank 21st in the country.