Men's Basketball Comes Up Short Against Sacred Heart

The Central Connecticut men's basketball team got off to a fast start before falling to Sacred Heart, 80-66, on Saturday in Northeast Conference action at Detrick Gymnasium. The Blue Devils scored the game's opening 14 points before the Pioneers closed the opening half on a run to take the lead for good. Junior Jamir Coleman led CCSU with a game-high 22 points.

Central slips to 11-18 overall and 5-11 in conference play.

Coleman led three Blue Devils in double-figures with his fourth 20-point game of the year. He added seven rebounds, two steals and three blocks. Freshman Ian Krishnan added 15 points and sophomore Kashaun Hicks narrowly missed a double-double with 12 points and a career-high nine rebounds.

CCSU shot 24-of-66 (.364) from the field and was 5-of-12 (.417) from three-point range. The Blue Devils committed just eight turnovers and were 13-of-15 (.867) from the free throw line.

The Blue Devils travel to LIU Brooklyn on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.

Coleman opened the game with a three-pointer to spark a CCSU flurry out of the gate. Krishnan and junior Tyson Batiste would follow with jumpers to make it 7-0. Krishnan would follow with a steal and breakaway dunk before Coleman scored five straight points as the Blue Devils built a 14-0 lead just 3:40 into the game.

The Pioneers would chip away at the lead with seven unanswered points. Zach Radz made it 14-7 with a three-pointer at the 13:40 mark.

The Blue Devils pushed the lead back to double digits after a basket by Hicks with 11:51 to go in the period. SHU responded with a 13-6 to cut the deficit to four points. Consecutive trifectas by Sean Hoehn and Cameron Parker made it 26-22 at the 7:53 mark.

Sacred Heart would go on to close the opening half by outscoring CCSU, 20-7, in the final 7:00 to take the lead into halftime. Hoehn would finish a three-point play to give the Pioneers a 31-30 lead. The teams would trade the lead before Zach Pfaffenberger had a dunk and LaRose hit a three-pointer to make it 39-34 and give SHU the lead for good.

LaRose would make a three-pointer with 40 seconds left in the half to extend the lead for SHU to eight points before Coleman made a foul shot to make it 42-35 at halftime.

CCSU shot 15-of-35 (.429) in the opening half, but the Pioneers would go 15-of-27 (.556) overall and make 7-of-14 (.500) from the arc in the first half.

Krishnan opened the second half with a three-pointer and Coleman followed with a jumper to get CCSU within, 42-40, but SHU came back with an 11-2 run.

Jare'l Spellman made a layup to open the spurt and would add a dunk in the run. A layup by E.J. Anosike would close the run to make it 53-42 with 16:11 to play.

Central would outscore Sacred Heart, 14-7, over a six-minute span to cut the deficit to four points. A three-pointer by freshman Thai Segwai and a jumper by Coleman made it 60-56 midway through the half.

The Blue Devils would be unable to get any closer and after two foul shots by senior Deion Bute made it 66-60, the Pioneers would push the lead back to double-figures after a Hoehn three-pointer. 

The Pioneers would hold CCSU to just one field goal in the final 10:00, a layup by Hicks with 1:53 to play, and not allow the home team to get closer than eight points after Bute's foul shots. 

Hoehn led four Pioneers in double-figures with 18 points, while Parker had 10 assists. SHU shot 27-of-60 (.450) from the field and was 10_of-25 (.400) from the arc.

The Blue Devils travel to LIU Brooklyn on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.