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The Sacred Heart University men's basketball team fights to stay out of the 8-9 play-in game as it hosts Saint Francis on Saturday at 2 p.m. on Senior Day. 

OPENING TIP

• The Pioneers are in a four-way tie for sixth with Saint Francis, FDU and Central Connecticut. A win over Saint Francis plus a CCSU and FDU loss, launches SHU to sixth which would send the Pioneers to LIU for the NEC Quarterfinals. 
• Tyler Thomas enters the game 35 points away from the 1,000 point mark. He has the potential to be the second Pioneer to grab 1,000 points in the same season after Aaron Clarke hurdled the milestone in January. 
• SHU fell at Saint Francis earlier in the season, 85-74. Despite the outcome, Clarke posted a career-high 26 points in the outing. 
• Prior to Saturday's game, the Pioneers honor five seniors in their program. Aaron Clarke, Cantavio Dutreil, Zach Pfaffenberger, Alex Watson, and four-year team manager, Brian Rice.

TURNING THE AC ON
Aaron Clarke has been one of SHU's go-to's all season long. Clarke has posted 19 double-digit scoring performances this season, nine of which being 20 points or more. Against the NEC, the senior point guard leads the team in scoring at 17.1 ppg and in assists with 4.2 a night. His assist average puts him at the top of the NEC. Against Mount St. Mary's, Clarke led with 21 points and shot over 50% both from the field (7-13) and from three (4-6). 

FROM LONG DISTANCE
Like any outside shooting team, you can get hot, but then you get cold. The Pioneers were feeling the February winter as they averaged just 4.25 three's and a three-point shooting percentage of 23.6% across the last four games before its win over Mount St. Mary's. The Pioneers bounced back over the Mountaineers and shot 9-of-19 from behind the arc. 

DEFENSE IS KEY
Sacred Heart is 9-0 when holding opponents to 1.0 points per possession or less and 0-19 on the latter. At Mount St. Mary's, the Pioneers allowed 1.48 points per possession for their largest margin of defeat on the year. In its most recent victory, SHU held St. Francis Brooklyn to 0.94. SHU is 7-0 when keeping opponents under 70 points and 6-0 when holding team's to 39% shooting or below from the field.