Sunday, February 22
Poughkeepsie, NY
2:00 PM
Sacred Heart University Department of Athletics
at
Marist University
Photo by: Josh Gee
Sacred Heart Travels to Marist on Sunday
2/21/2026 12:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball
FAIRFIELD, Conn. — In its final road trip of the regular season, the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team heads to Marist on Sunday to wrap up its season series with the Red Foxes. With two games remaining, the Pioneers have clinched a spot in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) postseason tournament.
LIVE STATS | ESPN+ | GAME NOTES
OPENING TIP
LIVE STATS | ESPN+ | GAME NOTES
OPENING TIP
- Sacred Heart and Marist wrap up the season series Sunday afternoon at McCann Arena. The matchup marks the 16th all-time meeting between the programs and just the third in the last two seasons since SHU joined the MAAC. The Pioneers hold a 13-2 advantage in the series, which dates back to 1967 when both teams competed at the Division II level, but the teams have split the last two meetings.
- SHU enters the contest following a 78-68 loss at Fairfield on Friday, while the Red Foxes are coming off an 84-70 road win at Manhattan. Dashon Gittens led four Pioneers in double figures in the setback against the Stags.
- The Pios have clinched a spot in the MAAC Championship Tournament for the second year.
- Anquan Hill is second in the MAAC in scoring at 17.6 points per game. Gittens ranks 13th in the conference at 14.1 ppg, while Nyle Ralph-Beyer sits 16th at 13.7 ppg. As a team, Sacred Heart leads the MAAC in scoring offense (76.0 ppg) and leads the league in three-pointers made per game (10.7) and three-point percentage (36.3%).
- Four Pioneers are averaging double figures this season: Hill (17.6 ppg), Gittens (14.1 ppg), Ralph-Beyer (13.7 ppg), and Yann Farell (11.8 ppg).
- Sacred Heart was selected third in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll and led the league with three preseason All-MAAC selections: Hill – First Team, Mekhi Conner – Second Team, Ralph-Beyer – Third Team
- 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, 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.
- Marist sits in fifth place in the MAAC standings at 11–7 and has already clinched a spot in the conference tournament. The Red Foxes are coming off an 84–70 road victory over Manhattan on Friday.
- Three players average double figures in scoring: Rhyjon Blackwell (12.2 ppg), Elijah Lewis (12.0 ppg), and Justin Menard (11.3 ppg). Jaden Daughtry leads the team on the glass at 5.6 rebounds per game.
- Defensively, Marist ranks first in the MAAC, allowing just 63.5 points per game, while its .447 field goal percentage ranks second in the conference.
- Sacred Heart fell to Fairfield, 78-68, on the road MAAC play. Four Pioneers scored in double figures in the setback.
- SHU found its rhythm early, jumping out to a 10-3 lead in the opening four minutes. Fairfield responded with an 8-0 run to take an 11-10 advantage. Yadd and Gittens answered with back-to-back baskets to put SHU back in front, 14-11.
- After the Stags trimmed the deficit to one, Gittens scored five straight points to extend the lead to 19-13. Fairfield again pulled within three, but a pair of free throws and a Jaden Slaughter steal that led to a layup pushed the Pioneers ahead, 30-20.
- The Stags closed the gap to three in the final minute of the half, but a Slaughter tip-in sent Sacred Heart into the break with a 37-32 lead.
- Fairfield opened the second half with four straight points to pull within one. A Conner layup gave SHU a 39-36 edge, but the Stags seized momentum with an 8-0 run to take a 45-39 lead. Farell knocked down a three to bring the Pioneers within three, though Fairfield answered with a triple of its own to maintain control.
- From there, the Stags led by as many as eight. Sacred Heart cut the deficit to six twice, but Fairfield heated up from beyond the arc, stretching the lead to as many as 15.
- Farell converted three straight free throws to trim the deficit to 12, but Fairfield maintained its double-digit advantage down the stretch to secure the 78-68 final.
- Sacred Heart shot 43.3 percent from the field and narrowly won the rebounding battle, 36-35.
- Sacred Heart's offense leads the MAAC at 76.0 points per game. The Pioneers also lead the conference with 309 made three-pointers, averaging 10.7 per game, 20th nationally, and are the league leader in 3PT FG% at .363. SHU's 77.9% free throw percentage is 16th in the country.
- Hill is second in the MAAC in scoring at 17.6 ppg, Gittens is 13th at 14.1 ppg, and Ralph-Beyer is 16th in scoring at 13.7 points per game. Gittens owns the eighth-best field-goal percentage in the conference at (.534). Ralph-Beyer (.433), Gittens (.420), and Farell (.401), are fourth, fifth, and eighth, respectively, in the MAAC in three-point percentage. Ralph-Beyer's 3PT FG percentage is 19th in the country.
- Conner is first in the conference with 6.4 assists per game, which is 18th nationally, and he holds the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the MAAC at 2.6. His 172 assists rank 16th in the country.
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