By Pete Janny (@pete_janny)
FAIRFIELD, Conn. — It’s been a little over a month since Sacred Heart announced — alongside Merrimack — that it would be joining the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference next season. For now, though, the Pioneers look like the team to beat in the Northeast Conference — picked preseason no.1 — having jumped out to a 4-3 record ahead of their home matchup with the University of New Hampshire Thursday.
But as much as Sacred Heart likes its chances in the NEC this season, and its sense of confidence in moving up to the MAAC next season, New Hampshire was no ordinary matchup on this occasion. The Wildcats blitzed Sacred Heart early, scoring at will in the paint and using the all-around brilliance of the leading scorer Clarence Daniels to stake a 48-34 lead after 20 minutes.
To make matters worse, Sacred Heart big man Alex Sobel picked up his third foul by the 15:43 mark, a technical foul from slamming the ball on the ground after getting called for his second foul. The 6’8 Sobel, who averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds last season en route to being named D3hoops.com Player of the Year at Middlebury College, only played eight minutes in the first half, as the Pioneers were forced to go small as a result of not having much else height to throw at the Wildcats.
It looked like a long night was officially in order for Sacred Heart when the visitors opened the second half with the first six points to grow the lead to 54-34. But then, Nico Galette found his stride and went to work. He helped the Pioneers chip away at the Wildcats’ lead with crafty spin moves and even craftier finishes. After only scoring three points in the first half, Galette poured in 24 points in the second half which allowed Sacred Heart to tie the score twice in the final three minutes of regulation. However, a clutch three from New Hampshire’s Trey Woodyard with 1:50 left regained a three-point lead for the Wildcats, who did their job from the free throw line to walk away 90-84 winners.
“Listen, (Galette) carried us and put us on his back but it just wasn’t enough for us,” Sacred Heart head coach Anthony Latina said after the game. “He made a couple of tough ones but the degree of difficulty was too high.”
The one that Galette would like back was a reverse layup attempt with 31 seconds left and the Pioneers down three. On the drive, he spun to his right and elevated but couldn’t finish through the New Hampshire defense.
“I’m just going to get back in the gym and hope to make it next time,” Galette said after the game.
Galette, who is the best player for Sacred Heart but is used as a sixth man by Latina, says the difference from the first half to the second was just a matter of being “more aggressive.” Galette’s second-half heroics were especially needed on this night with Tanner Thomas fouling out with only two points and Sobel getting stuck in foul trouble early before he too reached the limit with 1:23 left to play.
“I think if we played how we played in the second in the first, we would have won that game,” Galette said.
The Pioneers just didn’t do enough defensively, prompting Latina to say his team needs to be tougher. That was the honest confession even though the second half was marginally better for the Pioneers defensively. New Hampshire shot 9-for-30 from 3-point range, but were held to 3-for-17 in the second half. Sacred Heart also had four blocks, including one down the stretch from Raheem Solomon that led to a basket on the other end for Galette. The bigger issues came with sending New Hampshire to the free throw line 22 times in the second half, which resulted in 17 makes.
“We just didn’t have it defensively,” Latina said. “You have to give them a lot of credit. They’re a good offensive team, but we have to be able to get some stops.”
Daniels, Woodyard, and Ahmad Robinson combined for 62 of the Wildcats’ 90 points, with Daniels leading the way with 24 points. Robinson had six assists in addition to his 21 points.
“We didn’t have an answer for their best players,” Latina said. “Robinson is impossible to keep out of the lane.”
The calendar now flips to a December slate of seven games for Sacred Heart, which includes a home match-up with crosstown foe Fairfield on December 9 and visits to St. John’s and Providence. Those games mark the buildup to the NEC opener vs. Saint Francis University on January 4 in Fairfield. Before then, Latina wants the support on campus to keep building with Saturday’s game against Boston University at the Pitt Center.
“I thought the crowd was solid but it could be better,” Latina said. “I hope we have a bigger crowd Saturday and as the season goes along.”
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