Friday, February 13
Fairfield, Conn.
7:00 PM
Sacred Heart
vs
Saint Peter's University
Photo by: Josh Gee
Pioneers Host Saint Peter’s on Friday Evening
2/12/2026 5:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball
FAIRFIELD, Conn. — The Sacred Heart University men's basketball team returns to the Pitt Center on Friday night, February 13, for a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) matchup against Saint Peter's. The Pioneers look to bounce back and defend their home floor as they take on one of the top teams in the conference standings.
LIVE STATS | ESPN+ | GAME NOTES
OPENING TIP
LIVE STATS | ESPN+ | GAME NOTES
OPENING TIP
- Sacred Heart and Saint Peter's meet for their only matchup of the season and just the fourth meeting overall. The Peacocks hold a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series.
- The Pioneers are coming off an 80-68 road loss at Manhattan on Saturday, while Saint Peter's earned a 70-65 home win over Siena.
- Anquan Hill recorded his fourth double-double of the season against Manhattan, finishing with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Yann Farell (15) and Jaden Slaughter (13) also scored in double figures.
- Hill leads the MAAC in scoring at 17.7 points per game. Dashon Gittens ranks 12th in the league at 14.3 ppg, while Nyle Ralph-Beyer sits 17th at 13.4 ppg. As a team, Sacred Heart ranks second in the MAAC in scoring offense (75.8 ppg) and leads the conference in three-pointers made per game (10.7) and three-point percentage (36.2%).
- Four Pioneers are averaging double figures this season: Hill (17.7 ppg), Gittens (14.3 ppg), Ralph-Beyer (13.4 ppg), and Farell (11.9 ppg).
- Four Pioneers are averaging double figures this season: Hill (17.7), Gittens (14.3), Ralph-Beyer (13.4), and Farell (11.9). Sacred Heart was selected third in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
- The Pioneers return nine players from last season's roster and added transfers Gittens and Farell, along with four first-year players. Now in its second season in the MAAC, Sacred Heart is coming off a strong league debut that included a seventh-place finish, and a conference tournament win over Fairfield to reach the quarterfinals.
- Sacred Heart features three student-athletes from Africa: Fallou Gueye, Yann Farell, and Abdou Yadd.
- The program is celebrating its 60th season of men's basketball.
- Head coach Anthony Latina is in his 13th season at the helm.
- Saint Peter's enters the matchup at 11-3 in MAAC play, sitting second in the conference standings.
- Brant Bland leads the Peacocks in scoring at 14.4 points per game, while Bryce Eaton is also averaging double figures with 11.0 ppg. Lucas Scroggins paces the team on the glass, pulling down 5.1 rebounds per game.
- Saint Peter's is coming off an 80-75 home win over Siena. The Peacocks' three MAAC losses have come against Mount St. Mary's (70-65), Merrimack (67-59), and Rider (81-78).
- Saint Peter's was selected 11th in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
- Hill recorded his fourth double-double of the season to lead Sacred Heart. The Pioneers opened the game on a hot shooting spree, but Manhattan's strong second half swung the momentum in favor of the Jaspers.
- SHU jumped out to an early eight-point lead, 12–4, through the first four and a half minutes, highlighted by eight quick points from Farell. Manhattan responded, tying the game at 15–15 with 13:51 remaining in the first half. From there, the teams traded baskets, with neither side leading by more than two points.
- A Ralph-Beyer three-pointer and a Hill dunk pushed SHU ahead 24–19, but the Jaspers answered to knot the score at 24–24. Hill then sparked a 10–0 run with a three-pointer, giving the Pioneers a 34–24 advantage at the 7:29 mark. Manhattan chipped away at the deficit down the stretch, but another Hill triple sent SHU into halftime with a 44–37 lead.
- Sacred Heart shot 50% (16-of-32) from the field and 41.2 % (7-of-17) from beyond the arc in the opening half.
- The teams exchanged baskets early in the second half, with the Pioneers maintaining at least a five-point cushion. After a pair of free throws by Gittens at 13:10, Manhattan went on a 7–0 run to take a 54–52 lead.
- The contest remained tight over the next several minutes, featuring three ties. With the score even at 58–58 at the 8:17 mark, the Jaspers pulled away. Manhattan built its lead to as many as eight points before Sacred Heart cut the margin to five on a Hill three-pointer with 2:18 remaining. Manhattan answered once again, extending the lead to double figures and closing out the 80–68 victory.
- Sacred Heart ranks second in the MAAC in scoring offense at 75.8 points per game. The Pioneers lead the conference with 278 made three-pointers, averaging 10.7 per game, 20th nationally, and also top the league in three-point percentage (.365). SHU's 77.2% free-throw percentage ranks 24th in the country.
- Hill leads the MAAC in scoring at 17.7 points per game. Gittens ranks 12th at 14.3 ppg, while Ralph-Beyer sits 17th at 13.4 ppg.
- Gittens owns the eighth-best field-goal percentage in the conference at 53.0%. From beyond the arc, Ralph-Beyer (.429), Gittens (.422), and Farell (.419) rank fourth, fifth, and sixth in the MAAC, respectively. Ralph-Beyer's three-point percentage ranks 18th nationally.
- Conner leads the MAAC in assists at 6.3 per game, which ranks 18th nationally, and he owns the conference's best assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.7. His 165 total assists rank ninth in the country.
Players Mentioned
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