March 5, 2009

Final Stats

FAIRFIELD, CT - Junior Chauncey Hardy (Middletown, CT/Xavier) led all scorers with 22 points to help the #3 seeded Sacred Heart University Pioneers defeat #6 Central Connecticut State University, 76-64, in a Northeast Conference Tournament quarter-final Thursday night.

The Pioneers, 17-13 and winners of six straight, scored the first seven points of the game. Central, 13-17, got its first points with 16:11 left in the first half on a jumper from David Simmons (Syracuse, NY/Henninger). Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) cut the SHU lead to 13-11 with a three with 8:33 to go in the half.

Hardy, who missed the last two Pioneer regular season games, knocked in a three with 1:55 to play in the period to give the Pioneers a five-point edge. Sophomore Jerrell Thompson (Plainfield, NJ/Plainfield) hit a runner in the lane at the horn sounded to give SHU a 33-25 lead at the intermission.

The Pioneers had to play almost ten minutes of the half without first team All-NEC selection Joey Henley (Kent. WA/Kentridge), who picked up his second foul midway through. Hardy had 13 of his 22 in the period.

After a quiet first half, junior Corey Hassan (Merrimack, NH/Merrimack) came out on fire in the second. Hassan scored ten of his 13 points in the half, including a pair of treys that helped the Pioneers extend their lead to 52-39 with 13:56 left.

The Blue Devils still had some fight in them and a Joe Seymore (New Castle, DE/Hodgson) jumper with 2:50 to go had them back within seven at 71-64. Hardy pushed the lead back to nine with a pair of free throws with 1:44. Ptacek missed a foul-line jumper on the next CCSU possession and Henley was fouled driving to the basket. He made one of two tries to put the Pioneers up 74-64 with 1:34 left to put the Blue Devils away.

Robby Ptacek (Bayport, NY/Blue Point) led Central with 15 points, shooting just 6 of 18 from the field. Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) and Simmons finished with 12 apiece.

Henley finished with a double-double for SHU with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Hassan also finished in double figures with 13 points. Senior Ryon Howard (Bronx, NY/Holderness School) had nine points and ten rebounds.

The Pioneers, who will face #2 seed Mount St. Mary's on Sunday in Emmitsburg, MD, turned the ball over just ten times in the game and canned nine of 21 three-pointers (42.9%).