FAIRFIELD, Conn.— After winning its last two games, the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team returns home to open Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) action, taking on Iona at 7:00 pm.
 
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Opening Tip:

• Sacred Heart and Iona open Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) action on Friday evening in the team's fourth all-time meeting. SHU is 1-2 in the series. 
• The Pioneers are coming off their second consecutive victory, defeating Boston University 73-65 on Sunday. Amiri Stewart led SHU with 20 points, and Nyle Ralph-Beyer added 17 points and nine rebounds. Anquan Hill had 12 points and Mekhi Conner scored 10 points and 7 assists.
• Three Pioneers are averaging double figures: Stewart (12.5) Tanner Thomas (12.2), and Hill (12.3). 
• Bryce Johnson leads the team in rebounds with 5.9 per game, followed by Ralph-Beyer (3.9). 
• Conner is the team leader in assists (3.8) and Stewart leads the team in steals (1.9)
• Sacred Heart returns three active members from last year's team: Thomas, who made nine appearances before missing the remainder of the season with an injury. Raymond Espinal-Guzman, a redshirt junior forward who appeared in 24 games last season, and Aidan Carpenter, a redshirt junior guard who made 30 appearances with 16 starts. 
• Thomas was named to the All-MAAC preseason third team. 
• Johnson returns to Sacred Heart after a year at Northeastern.
• This year is Sacred Heart's first season as a full-time member of the MAAC.
• The Pioneers have 10 new players on the team. 
• Head Coach Anthony Latina is in his 12th season as head coach and 20th year overall with the Pioneers. 

Last Time Out:

• Sacred Heart won its second consecutive game, taking down Boston University 73-65 on the road on Sunday.
• Four Pioneers scored in double figures led by Stewart with a season-high 20 points. Ralph-Beyer had a career-high 17 points and nine rebounds. Hill (12) and Conner (10) wrapped up the double-figure scoring for the Pioneers.
• Six different Pios recorded a triple.
• SHU shot a season-best 46.4% (13-for-28) from three-point range and 41.8% from the field (23-for-55).
• Conner tallied his fourth straight game in double figures and had his third game of the season with five or more assists.
• The game had three ties but Sacred Heart never let Boston take the lead.