Pioneers Cruise Past Merchant Marine in Season Opener

Led by Anquan Hill's first double-double of the season, the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team opened the 2025-26 campaign with a dominant 103-46 victory over the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy on Tuesday evening at the William H. Pitt Center. The win marked Sacred Heart's first season-opening victory since the 2023-24 campaign. The Pioneers raced out to an early 14-4 lead and never looked back. Hill and Dashon Gittens (6'3''-G-2003) fueled the fast start, combining for 19 first-half points. SHU broke the game open with a 10-0 run midway through the half, highlighted by a Yann Farell (6'6''-G/F) three-pointer, to take control. A deep three-pointer from Taj Bryant (6'2''-G) just before the halftime buzzer sent Sacred Heart into the locker room with a 45-25 advantage. Sacred Heart kept its foot on the gas after the break, opening the second half on a 14-2 run to extend its lead beyond 30 points. The Pioneers' defense forced 21 turnovers, converting them into 23 points, while holding Merchant Marine to just 32 percent shooting from the floor.Hill led all scorers with 21 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 64 percent (9-of-14) from the field. Gittens impressed in his Pioneer debut with 18 points, five steals, and two assists. Farell added 11 points and seven boards, while Nyle Ralph-Beyer (6'4''-G) (12 points), Fallou Gueye (6'6''-G-2003) (11 points), and Abdou Yadd (6'9''-F-2005) (10 points) each reached double figures.Sacred Heart shot 55.3 percent (42-76) from the field and 39.5 percent (15-38) from three-point range, while dominating the glass with a 49-22 rebounding advantage.
Courtesy of: sacredheartpioneers.com