Sacred Heart 90, FDU 85: Ray Floriani's Tempo-Free Analysis

Official Brian O'Connell during a timeout. (Photo courtesy of Ray Floriani)

Teaneck, NJ - A fast paced tempo. Eight ties and eleven lead changes. It all added up to a ‘typical’ Northeast Conference evening as Sacred Heart ‘survived’ FDU, 90-85 at the Rothman Center. The pace and possessions:

Pace: FDU 73 possessions, Sacred Heart 70

Offensive Efficiency: Sacred Heart 129, FDU 116

Four Factors:

eFG: Sacred Heart 66, FDU 53

FT Rate: Sacred Heart 39, FDU 23

OREB Pct.: Sacred Heart 50, FDU 18

TO Rate: FDU 4, Sacred Heart 21

What Sacred Heart did well: Shoot accurately. The Pioneers were 36-of-59 (61%) from the floor including 6-of-13 (46%) from three. It all added to an outstanding 66% eFG percentage. The fifteen offensive boards and 50% offensive rebounding percentage extended several possessions giving the Pioneers some outstanding inside opportunities to capitalize on.

What FDU did well: Take extremely good care of the ball. In a fast ’NASCAR’ paced tempo, the Knights had an amazing four turnovers, only one in the second half. Their TO rate of 4% is the best I have calculated on over five years of breaking down Four Factors. Just an amazing number in a fast paced transition contest.  

Leading scorers and OE: 
Sacred Heart: Evan Kelley 27 points, OE .810

FDU: Darian Anderson 27 points, OE .724.

Each team had four double-figure scorers in this wide open offensive affair. Evan Kelley (27) and Cane Broome (23) combined for fifty of Sacred heart’s points. On the other side, Darian Anderson (27 points) had 11 assists and one turnover. Even if every assist resulted in a two-point basket, Anderson was responsible for at least 49 of FDU’s point output.

Sacred Heart, aided by the offensive rebounding domination, outscored the Knights 48-34 in the paint. The Pioneers also led in points off the bench 35-9.

FDU forced Sacred Heart into 15 turnovers (21% rate as noted). They put those forced errors to good use with a 17-6 advantage in points off turnovers. 

Last note on OE….Tevin Falzon, Sacred Heart’s 6-7 junior forward, turned in a superb 1.000 OE. Talzon shot 6 of 11 from the floor, committed just one turnover while adding 6 offensive boards (out of his game high 19) to post that outstanding efficiency. 

Sacred Heart is 8-9 in conference, FDU fell to 2-15.

“I am not sending this tape to Springfield. This time of year you get by in a close game and that is enough. Credit FDU. They made some really difficult contested threes.” – Sacred Heart coach Anthony Latina

“It has been like that all year. We are up four with just under ten minutes to go and could not get stops. We have some talented kids but inexperienced. They have to learn how to close these type games out.” – FDU coach Greg Herenda