Pioneers Fall to Merrimack in MAAC Quarterfinal

Friday, March 6

Sacred Heart

14-19,9-11MAAC

Merrimack College

22-10,17-3MAAC

Sacred Heart

Merrimack

Pioneers Fall to Merrimack in MAAC Quarterfinal

3/6/2026 9:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — In its second appearance in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Quarterfinals, the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team fell to top-seeded Merrimack, 70–48, on Friday evening. Anquan Hill led three Pioneers in double figures.

Records
Sacred Heart: 14–19 (9-11 MAAC)
Merrimack: 22-10 (17-3 MAAC)

Leaders
Anquan Hill: 18 points, 7 rebounds
Yann Farell: 11 points, 4 assists
Mekhi Conner: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists

How It Happened
The teams battled through the opening minutes, and with 16:02 remaining in the first half, the Pioneers trailed by just three. Mekhi Conner knocked down a three-pointer to tie the game at 11–11.

Both teams traded triples before a Merrimack layup put the Warriors ahead, 16–14. Hill answered with a layup to tie the game again at 16–16, but Merrimack used a 9–0 run to build a 25–16 lead with 7:58 remaining.

Yann Farell ended Sacred Heart's scoring drought to cut the deficit to seven, but the Warriors responded with another three-pointer to extend the lead to 10. Conner then hit a three and was fouled, completing a four-point play to pull Sacred Heart within six, 28–22.

Merrimack scored six straight points to push the lead to 34–22 at the 4:19 mark. Farell connected on another triple to cut the deficit back to single digits, but the Warriors closed the half on a 5–0 run to take a 39–25 advantage into the break.

Hill opened the second half with a pair of free throws to bring Sacred Heart within 12, but Merrimack responded with an and-one to push the lead back to 15. Hill followed with a dunk to trim the deficit to 13 before the Warriors scored five straight to extend the lead to 47–29.

Following a Sacred Heart timeout, the Pioneers went on a 7–0 run, sparked by a Hill dunk and five straight points from Nyle Ralph-Beyer, to cut the deficit to 11 at 47–36.

Merrimack responded with a 14–2 run over the next seven minutes to stretch the lead to 63–38. Farell snapped the scoring drought, again, with a jumper at the 6:06 mark, and Hill completed an and-one play to pull Sacred Heart within 20. However, Merrimack answered immediately with a three-pointer to move ahead 66–43.

Hill hit a three-pointer with 1:45 remaining to again bring the Pioneers within 20, but the Warriors sealed the game with a layup with 1:03 left, securing the 70–48 victory.

Sacred Heart's season comes to an end with a 14–19 overall record and a 9–11 mark in MAAC play. The Pioneers finished the year as the ninth seed and reached the conference quarterfinals for the second consecutive season.