Sacred Heart wins third straight as Hill, Conner shine

By Connor Wilson (@Conman_815)

FAIRFIELD, Conn. — After falling to Quinnipiac in an early-season conference game in December, Amiri Stewart assured one thing to Sacred Heart and MAAC fans.

“I think we’re going to shock a lot of people,” he said after a weekend in which the Pioneers blew out Iona by 24 and played the league favorite Bobcats down to the wire in Hamden.

Optimism was certainly there for the team picked last in the preseason poll, but would that optimism turn into consistent success?

Well, fast forward nearly two months from then to today. Behind a late dagger from Mekhi Conner and a career-high 24 points from Anquan Hill, Sacred Heart defeated Manhattan, 74-72, scoring its third consecutive win and pushing its record in MAAC play to an even 5-5.

“I think we won that game defensively. I didn't know we had that in us,” head coach Anthony Latina said. “I thought we were going to have to score somewhere in the eighties to have any chance to win.”

After dropping four straight games in mid-January, it’s been full steam ahead for Latina and his team. They swept their first-ever Western New York trip last weekend with wins at Canisius and Niagara, and followed that up Sunday by beating a Jaspers squad that came into the day a half-game ahead of the Pioneers in the standings.

“They’re surging, they’re playing great, they’re explosive, they’re well coached,” Latina said, praising Manhattan. “Huge win for us, we’re thrilled.”

Usually when teams go on winning streaks or runs, the main point of emphasis is the man running the show. For Sacred Heart, that’s Conner. The freshman point guard, who Latina claimed “isn’t a freshman anymore,” has broken out over the past few weeks, coinciding with the Pioneers’ success.

“He’s playing with such poise and the game is really slowing down for him,” Latina added. “It’s making such a big difference.”

“They hold me accountable on every little thing, even one little turnover and he’s getting on me,” Conner said. “I take that seriously and appreciate that honor.”

On Sunday, Conner broke a tie, drilling a three-pointer with 18 seconds left to give the Pioneers the lead for good. He also registered 14 assists. For most freshmen, you’d imagine it’d be their career-high. Not Conner, who dished out 16 helpers in the win over Canisius last weekend. In fact, during Sacred Heart’s three-game win streak, he’s averaging 13 assists a night.

“That’s my favorite thing. It’s what I’m here to do,” Conner said. “Playmaking just makes everyone else better. It’s what I love to do and feel like I was born to do.”

One guy Conner found all night was Hill. The former FDU and St. Bonaventure forward has had an up-and-down start to his Sacred Heart career, but had by far his best game of the year Sunday, dropping 24 points to go along with 10 rebounds.

“Playing with Anquan is fun,” Conner said. “He can shoot it, he can post up, so playing with him is great. Him knocking down shots today helped us come down with the win.”

“I just got comfortable early and let the game come to me,” Hill said. “I got to make a couple shots, get into a little rhythm, and it felt great getting a career high.”

Hill knocked down four of the Pioneers’ 13 triples in the game and has now knocked down multiple threes in four straight. Freshman guard Nyle Ralph-Beyer also hit four and scored 16 big points off the bench. With some inconsistent shooting nights from Tanner Thomas (4-for-16 from the field, 1-of-9 from deep) and Griffin Barrouk (1-of-7 from the field, all threes), having a boost from the bench was pivotal for Latina and Sacred Heart.

“After Buffalo, he’s got his confidence back,” Latina said of Ralph-Beyer. “If Nyle can continue to do that, our rotation is really starting to come together.”

The Pioneers expanded their lead to as high as 13 early in the second half after coming out of the locker room with assertion. That lead slowly dwindled down to eventually tied after Manhattan point guard Jaden Winston buried a three to knot things at 69. From there, Barrouk and Devin Dinkins, who had a Jasper high 24 off the bench, traded free throws to make it 71-all. Then Conner buried the winning shot and, even with a couple of chances due to some missed Sacred Heart foul shots, Manhattan wasn’t able to complete its comeback.

The win was an important one for Sacred Heart, as all conference wins are, but it was especially a memorable one for Latina. The longtime head man at the Pitt Center picked up his 150th career victory Sunday, something that was extra special for his players.

“He sacrifices a lot for us, he thinks a lot about us as well,” Hill said. “I’m happy for him to get that 150, hopefully he can get to 200 soon as well.”

Sacred Heart will look to extend its winning streak to four on Thursday when the Pioneers play host to Rider before making one of the shortest road trips in the country to take on Fairfield Saturday.