NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Despite a career-high 36 points from Tyler Thomas and a season-best 13 three-pointer, the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team dropped its Northeast Conference contest at Merrimack College Thursday night. The Pioneers were outscored 16-9 in the extra period as they fell 97-90 to the Warriors.

Records:
Merrimack: 1-0, 1-0 NEC
Sacred Heart: 2-4, 2-3 NEC

Top Performers:
Tyler Thomas (SHU): 36 points, 4 rebounds
Matas Spokas (SHU): 18 points 
Bryce Johnson (SHU): 6 points, 14 rebounds

Up Next:
The two teams are back on the floor Friday for a 4 p.m. contest.

Of Note:
Thomas' 36 points are the most by a Pioneer since Quincy McKnight scored 44 in triple overtime at Bryant on January 14, 2017. Thomas has reset his career-high three-times this year.

Sacred Heart got the first basket during overtime, but the Warriors responded with a 10-0 run and the Pioneers could only cut the margin to six.

Matas Spokas converted a four-point play to put the Pioneers up 50-36 just 50 seconds into the second half. SHU would only score six points over the next seven minutes and Ziggy Ford's layup tied the game at 56-56.

In the last 90 seconds of regulation, Alex Watson made a jumper then Aaron Clarke got a layup off a steal to tie the game at 81-81. Thomas' potential game-winner missed the mark to send the game to overtime.

Jordan Minor made a basket to cut the SHU lead to 30-28 with 5:58 left in the first half. The Pioneer buried four three-pointers and Bryce Johnson's basket at the 1:37 mark put the Pioneers up 46-41 and SHU took a 46-36 lead into the break.

While the Pioneers shot well – 48.4 percent from the floor and 40.6 percent from three-point range – they couldn't stop the Warriors at the defensive end of the floor. Merrimack shot 56.9 percent.

Sacred Heart committed 22 turnovers, which the hosts turned into 32 points. 

Thomas was one of three Pioneers in double figures. Spokas matched his career-high with 18 points while Clarke chipped in 10 to go along with five assists.