The Sacred Heart men’s basketball team swept both home games this past

week, defeating Wagner 86-75 and Bryant 84-75. The two wins push the Pioneers
record to 11-14 overall, and 5-7 in conference play.
In the first game against Wagner, Sacred Heart shot 56 percent from the field
for the game, led by a team high 19 points from senior guard Evan Kelley on 8-12
shooting from the field. Freshman guard Cane Broome also added in 16 points.
After the teams traded the lead for the first ten minutes of the game, the
Pioneers took control of the game at the 10:03 mark when they took an 18-17 lead.
It would be a lead the Pioneers would never relinquish.
Wagner was able to cut the lead down to two with five minutes left in the
first half, but Kelley would score ten points in the final five minutes of the half to
help stretch the Pioneers lead to 42-31 at halftime.
Sacred Heart would come out to start the second half and look to put away
Wagner, as they opened up the half outscoring the Seahawks 11-7 in the first six
minutes to open up a 15 point lead 53-38.
Wagner would attempt to make some sort of a comeback, as they cut the
Pioneers lead down to ten with 7:32 left in the game. Marcus Burton led the way for
Wagner, scoring 22 points but also committing five costly turnovers.
After it seemed that Wagner had clawed their way back into the game, senior
Steve Glowiak came down and drained a three pointer that took the air out of
Wagner’s sails. The Seahawks would never get that close to the Pioneers again.
Sacred Heart would stretch the lead out to as much as 18, and would go on to defeat
the Seahawks 86-75.
For their next game against the Bryant Bulldogs, the Pioneers were looking
to avenge and earlier 83-66 defeat at the hands of Bryant, and did so in dramatic
fashion.
Over 1000 people came out to witness the Pioneers erased a 15 point
defecate with ten minutes left to play to earn a 84-75 overtime victory over the
Bulldogs.
Bryant was in control for the entire first half, as they kept they Pioneers at a
double-digit deficit for most of the half. The Pioneers had trouble containing Bryant
guard Dyami Starks, who scored 21 of his game high 26 points in the first half.
Sacred Heart would head into the locker room down by 14 points, 46-32.
In the start of the second half, whenever the Pioneers seemed to be making
up some ground on the scoreboard, Bryant would always seem to pull away.
The dagger from Bryant seemed to come when Starks drained a three to give
the Bulldogs a 62-47 lead with ten minutes remaining in the half.
The comeback was sparked by Jordan Allen, who scored ten of his team high
24 points in the final ten minutes of the game.
Sacred Heart continued to claw their way back into the game, and with four
minutes left in the game senior guard Phil Gaetano drained a three to cut the lead
down to four at 66-62.
After a few back and forth possessions, junior guard Shane McLaughlin made
two free throws to extend Bryant’s lead to 71-68 with only 12 seconds to play.
Gaetano received the inbounds pass, dribbled up court and shot what seemed
to be about a thirty foot three pointer to try and tie the game.
 Nothing but net. Game tied 71-71.
Overtime.
The Pioneers used the momentum from forcing overtime to claim an early
lead during the extra five minutes.
The game was sealed when, with 1:30 left, Evan Kelley was fouled while
making a layup. He would make the ensuing free throw to give the Pioneers an
insurmountable 80-75 lead. Kelley finished the game with 16 points and 7 rebounds.
Bryant would not score again, and Kelley and Broome would both make a
pair of free throws to ice the game and give the Pioneers the dramatic come from
behind victory.
The Pioneers next game is Thursday at Mount St. Mary’s at 7 p.m., and the
game can be seen on ESPN3.