FAIRFIELD, Conn – After Bryant's Hunter Ware scored seven points in seven seconds to cap a 9-0 run and give the Bulldogs their first lead of the second half on a three-pointer with 27 seconds remaining, Cane Broome hit a go-ahead step back three pointer just 16 seconds later to lift the Sacred Heart men's basketball team to a 72-71 win on Saturday afternoon at the William H. Pitt Center. SHU's Tevin Falzon and Eyimofe Edukugho teamed to contest a driving Shane McLaughlin layup at the buzzer to clinch the victory, which moves the Pioneers back to an even 5-5 in NEC play and 6-15 overall.

Leading by a game-high 11 points, 66-55, when Eyimofe Edukugho capped a 9-2 flurry with his six straight point at the 6:11 mark, SHU went scoreless for more than four minutes. Bryant (7-16, 4-6 Northeast Conference) managed to score just six points in that span though, and Edukugho put the Pioneers on top 67-61 by going 1-2 from the free throw line with 2:09 to go. 

McLaughlin countered with a jumper just 15 seconds later, but again it was Edukugho getting fouled on the next trip down the court. The redshirt-senior made 2-2 this time, giving him his ninth consecutive point consecutive points and 69-63 advantaged with 1:36 to play.

A Marcel Pettway free throw 19 seconds later cut the deficit to 69-64 to set up seven-point swing. Following a SHU miss, Bryant came down the court and missed a three-pointer only to get the offensive rebound. The Bulldogs then called timeout and drew up a play for Ware, who drilled a trifecta off the inbounds play while getting fouled in the process.

After draining the free throw to make the score 69-67 with 34 seconds on the clock, Bryant then forced a turnover on the ensuing inbound. The officials reviewed the play to see who the ball had went off, and after ruling it had gone off Sacred Heart, the Bulldogs again had an inbounds play drawn up for Ware, who again drained the triple for a 72-71 lead, Bryant's first since the 16:50 mark of the first.

In a game that came down to a couple of thee point shots, free throws may have been the deciding facgtor. Bryant managed to make just 12-22 (54.5 percent), including 7-15 (46.7) in the second half, compared to Sacred Heart going 17-23 (73.9). The Pioneers also dominated the glass with 43 rebounds to the Bulldogs' 31.

Broome's game-winner gave him a team leading 17 on the afternoon to go along with four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Tevin Falzon had his second double double in three games, and third of the year, finishing with 15 points and 13 rebounds while also adding a team-high three assists. Just one game after scoring a career-high 19 points, his first double digit scoring performance of the season, Sean Hoehn had 14, while Edukugho scored all 11 of his points in the second half. 

Dan Garvin was dominant for Bryant, tallying game-highs of 25 points and 14 rebounds on 10-14 shooting, but he went just 5-11 from the free throw line. Ware was the only other Bulldog in double figures, scoring 19.

Sacred Heart will look to avenge a 17-point loss to St. Francis Brooklyn from earlier in the season next Thursday at 7 pm in the William H. Pitt Center. The two teams will enter the game either tied for fourth or fifth place at 5-5 in the league standings, as the Terriers defeated Central Connecticut State 60-49 this afternoon.

Noteworthy

• Sacred Heart is now 4-1 this season when leading at halftime

Inside the Box

• The top two offensive rebounders in the league, Garvin and Falzon, finished with five and seven respectively.
• Each team made seven three-pointers, with Sacred Heart taking three more attempts, 21-18.
• Sacred Heart led for 35 minutes and 22 seconds, compared to Bryant being in front for just 49 seconds.
  

How it Happened

• First Half
  • Bryant's only two leads of the first half were two points each, the second and final one coming when Pettway made a layup for a 6-4 advantage at the 17:05 mark
  • SHU answered with five in a row over the next 56 seconds, taking the lead for good when Falzon hit a triple
  • Back-to-back three-pointers by Buovac gave Sacred Heart its largest lead of the half, 28-20, with 6:06 to go
  • The Bulldogs immediately came back with six points in a row with Justin Brickman making it a two-point game on a three 51 seconds later
  • Bryant came all the way back to tie it moments later when Brickman made 2-2 at the line to even the score at 33 just 1:18 ahead of the buzzer
  • Hoehn put Sacred Heart back up five with five quick points, on a three and transition layup, but Ware hit the final shot of the half for a 38-35 score at the break
• Second Half
  •  After Broome made a layup just 25 seconds into the half, Bryant quickly tied the game back up, 40-40, with five straight points, capped by McLaughlin's three 1:48 out of the locker room
  • Broome scored the next trip down the floor and the Pioneers would lead until Ware's late triple
  • Following two Falzon free throws at the 14:50 mark to make the score 47-42, SHU's lead remained at least four points until Ware's four-point play
  • The closest the Bulldogs got was four points, 57-53, on a Nisre Zouzoua foul shot with 8:59 left, but that began the Pioneers' 9-2 surge to go up a game-high 11 points, beginning with Chris Robinson's three just 20 seconds later