Dec. 30, 2007

Final Stats

FAIRFIELD, CT - Senior forward Luke Granato (Rocky Hill, CT) buried six three-pointers to lead four Sacred Heart University players in double figures with 18 points, and junior Ryon Howard (Bronx, NY) blocked a desperation three by Holy Cross guard Adam May at the buzzer to help the Pioneers upset the Crusaders 61-58 in a non-conference game Saturday afternoon.

Sacred Heart, 5-8, took a 16-9 lead in the first 7:30 of the game hitting seven of its first ten shots, including a pair of treys by Granato. Another Granato three with 9:09 left in the half gave the Pioneers their biggest lead of the game at 22-13.

Holy Cross, 7-3, then used a 9-0 run in the next four minutes, capped by a Tim Clifford layup, to tie the game at 22-22 with 5:04 left in the period. Back-to-back layups by senior Drew Shubik (Stoystown, PA) put SHU back up by four with 3:31 remaining. A Lawrence Dixon three cut it to one. The Crusaders got a bucket from Greg McCarthy with :51 left in the half that put them down 28-27, but the Pioneers turned it over and a dunk by May with :11 sent Holy Cross to the intermission with a 29-28 lead.

A three by Colin Cunningham to start the second half gave the Crusaders a four-point edge. A pair of SHU threes by sophomore Chauncey Hardy (Middletown, CT) sandwiched around a Clifford tip-in for Holy Cross had the game tied at 34-34.

Dixon gave Holy Cross its biggest lead of the game at 44-38 with 11:00 remaining with a layup. Granato cut the lead in half for SHU on the next possession, and sophomore Ryan Litke (Windsor, CT) had the Pioneers within one after a Crusader turnover. Granato again got a hot hand for Sacred Heart and hit consecutive threes that tied the game at 49-49 with 8:08 left.

Litke nailed a jumper with 6:49 to go to regain the lead for the Pioneers at 51-49 and his team would never trail again. A pair of free throws by Clifford put the Crusaders within 58-56 with 2:23 left. Shubik was fouled on the next SHU possession and made one of two. A Cunningham layup with 1:27 remaining had HC back within a point.

On the next SHU trip Hardy missed an open jumper with :57 left, but Brice Brooks got the offensive board to give the Pioneers a new shot clock. Shubik made it count by hitting a foul-line jumper with :21 to go to put SHU ahead 61-58. Cunningham missed a three for the Crusaders with :04 left and Clifford got the offensive board. He fed it out at the top of the circle to May who lined up the trey, but Howard came flying at him and blocked the try to secure the win.

"This was a good win for us over a very good basketball team," said head coach Dave Bike. "I thought we did a good job of being patient offensively and got good looks at the basket every time down. Outside of their big guy Clifford, I thought we played very good defense as well. He (Clifford) is very good and some of the shots he made, you just have to tip your hat."

Clifford finished with a game-high 24 points for the Crusaders. Cunningham was the only other Holy Cross player in double figures with ten.

Shubik finished with 11 points and seven assists for the Pioneers. Hardy and Litke had ten points a piece. Brooks and Howard led the Pioneers with six rebounds apiece.