Sacred Heart Defeats Iona to Advance to MAAC Quarterfinal

Thursday, March 5

Atlantic City, N.J.

6:00 PM

Sacred Heart

14-18,9-11MAAC

Iona University

18-14,10-10MAAC

Sacred Heart

Iona

Photo by: Josh Gee

Sacred Heart Defeats Iona to Advance to MAAC Quarterfinal

3/5/2026 10:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Nyle Ralph-Beyer scored 26 points to lead four players in double figures as the ninth-seeded Sacred Heart University men's basketball team defeated No. 8 seed Iona, 91–80, in the opening round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships on Thursday evening.

Yann Farell recorded his second double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Anquan Hill added 19 points, while Dashon Gittens finished with 10 points and seven rebounds in the victory.

Records
Sacred Heart: 14–18 (9-11 MAAC)
Iona: 18-14 (10-10 MAAC)

Leaders
Nyle Ralph-Beyer: 26 points, 4 rebounds
Yann Farell: 19 points, 10 rebounds
Anquan Hill: 19, 5 rebounds
Dashon Gittens: 10 points, 7 rebounds

How It Happened
Iona led by as many as seven points in the first half, but Sacred Heart used a barrage of three-pointers to rally and take control.

Trailing by seven with 7:54 remaining in the opening half, Ralph-Beyer hit the first of three consecutive Sacred Heart three-pointers during an 11–0 run that gave the Pioneers a 25–21 lead.

Iona briefly cut the deficit to one, but back-to-back three-pointers from Farell pushed Sacred Heart ahead by eight, 34–26. The Gaels connected on a three-pointer in the final seconds of the half, but the Pioneers carried a 34–29 lead into the break.

Ralph-Beyer opened the second half with a dunk to give Sacred Heart a 36–29 lead. Iona answered with six straight points to pull within one, but consecutive dunks from Hill and Gittens restored a five-point advantage for the Pioneers.

The Gaels responded again, tying the game at 40–40 with 15:53 remaining. After several ties over the next few minutes, Sacred Heart pulled away with an 8–0 run fueled entirely by free throws to take a 53–45 lead.

Iona briefly cut into the margin, but a Farell three-pointer pushed the Pioneers ahead by nine. Later, a 7–0 Sacred Heart run extended the lead to 68–58 with 9:36 remaining.

The Gaels pulled within seven over the next two minutes, but the Pioneers continued their hot shooting and maintained a double-digit advantage for much of the remainder of the game.

Iona trimmed the deficit to nine in the final minute, but a layup from Gittens in the closing seconds sealed the 91–80 victory.

Sacred Heart shot 68% (17-for-25) from the field in the second half and finished the game shooting 50% (29-for-58) overall. The Pioneers also knocked down 13 three-pointers in the win.

Ralph-Beyer was nearly perfect, shooting 8-for-10 from the field and 6-for-7 from three-point range. His six made three-pointers matched his career high, while his 26 points were two shy of his career best.

Up Next:
Sacred Heart will make its second consecutive MAAC Quarterfinal appearance Friday, March 6, facing No. 1 seed Merrimack in a rematch of last season's quarterfinal matchup. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.