Sacred Heart falls to Quinnipiac, but lots to like in first weekend of MAAC play

By Connor Wilson (@Conman_815)

HAMDEN, Conn. — The first weekend of MAAC play for Sacred Heart as members of the conference could have gone a multitude of ways, hosting an Iona program that has been the best overall program in the league for the better part of the past decade and then traveling up the road to take on the team picked first in the preseason poll in Quinnipiac. If the Pioneers went 0-2, I don’t think many people would bat an eye.

Instead, they handled the Gaels at the Pitt Center by 24 on Friday and competed to the very end in a narrow loss to the Bobcats Sunday, 83-73, at M&T Bank Arena. 

“Quinnipiac deserves a lot of credit. I think their length really bothered us,” head coach Anthony Latina said. “They were able to switch everything and that bothered us more than it should have.”

Losing stings no matter the circumstance, but dropping a game to the conference favorite on the road in December isn’t the end of the world, and Latina knows that.

“We played the team that was picked to win the league on the road and the team picked third at home and we’re 1-1,” Latina said. “I would say we are ahead (of schedule). We were picked 13th.”

The game between the Bobcats and Pioneers was as intense as a December conference game can get. Bodies were flying all over the place and tempers were flaring a bit after some clutch shooting from both sides. This intensity may have gotten to Sacred Heart, who turned the ball over 18 times while Quinnipiac had 15 steals.

Amiri Stewart led the Pioneers in points, rebounds and steals and was able to pick his way through the Bobcat defense to get into the lane and make a play. He had 18 points and was one of the more efficient players on Sacred Heart in the loss.

“Getting downhill and driving to the rim is definitely my strong suit,” Stewart said. “That led to my success today.” 

After Stewart, St. Bonaventure transfer Anquan Hill had 15 points and showed a nice shooting touch from the free throw line. Bryce Johnson chipped in 11 before fouling out as well. Noticeably missing due to injury for the Pioneers were Aidan Carpenter and Tanner Thomas, two starters on opening night.

“Aidan and Tanner are starters,” Latina said. “Their experience might have helped us, but we have guys that can make plays. (Quinnipiac) played like a veteran team, we did not.”

In their absence, guys like freshman Mekhi Conner stepped up. The New Haven native was playing right up the road from his hometown and stuffed the stat sheet with seven points, five rebounds and six assists as the point guard. Conner has been a welcoming addition for Latina and has shown great confidence in some big games to start his college career.

With Sacred Heart joining the MAAC, this rivalry with Quinnipiac will be renewed for years to come after it went away when the Bobcats left the NEC in 2013. The teams only played twice in non-conference play during the 11 years they weren’t in the same league. Latina is happy to be playing the Bobcats again, but has bigger things on his mind.

“We’re separated by, what, 15-20 miles,” Latina said. “We certainly want bragging rights, although that’s a secondary thing. You want to qualify for the MAAC Tournament, which not everyone does.”

Being picked 13th in the preseason poll when only the top ten make it to Atlantic City isn’t exactly an ideal scenario for the Pioneers, but luckily the poll is just a number, and the players—if anything—take it as motivation to prove everyone wrong.

“We have a little piece of paper that we look at everyday that shows the other teams coaches don’t believe in us,” Stewart said. 

That piece of paper has the MAAC preseason poll on it. So far, the Pioneers have looked much better than a team picked last in the league with everyone stepping it up. It still may be early in conference play, but they look like a team that will be right in the thick of it when it comes to March.

“I think we’re going to shock a lot of people,” Stewart said. “I think a lot of people are starting to realize that Sacred Heart isn’t playing around this year. It’s not like the usual Sacred Heart teams.”