Nov. 30, 2007

Final Stats

FAIRFIELD, CT - Senior guard Luke Granato (Rocky Hill, CT) led five Sacred Heart University players in double figures with 16 points to lead the Pioneers to a 75-59 win over visiting Columbia University Friday night in a non-conference game. The victory was the first of the season for the Pioneers, improving their record to 1-6.

Granato, making his first start of the season, came out red hot and canned three treys in the first five minutes of the game to help the Pioneers open a 14-2 lead. A three from senior Drew Shubik (Stoystown, PA) with 12:05 to play in the first extended the lead to 19-6. The Pioneers opened their largest lead at 25-8 on a Ryan Litke (Windsor, CT) jumper with 9:03 left.

Columbia, 2-5, used a 10-0 run to claw back within seven at 25-18 with 7:17 to play in the first. Sophomore Niko Scott (New York, NY), who led all scorers with 19 points, accounted for seven of the ten points. Another Granato three with 6:24 left stopped the Columbia momentum and helped the Pioneers take a 41-25 lead into the intermission.

The Lions again took a run at the Pioneers with a 15-5 run in the first six minutes of the second half to close within six at 46-40. Most of the points in the flurry came on the inside from senior John Baumann (Westport, CT) and Ben Nwachukwu. A pair of Mwachukwu free throws with 11:38 left in the game cut the SHU lead to 53-48 but the Lions would get no closer.

A Chauncey Hardy (Middletown, CT) hoop with 8:46 to go put SHU up 60-50, and the sophomore guard extended it to 65-54 with a layup with 5:56 left. Two free throws by Hardy with 5:10 left gave the Pioneers a 69-56 lead and they coasted home with the victory from there.

Hardy finished the game with 15 points, five rebounds and a season-high six assists. Shubik and senior Brice Brooks (Silverdale, WA) had 11 points apiece, while Ryon Howard (Bronx, NY) added ten. Shubik had a team-best eight rebounds.