The men’s basketball team ended their 2024-2025 season and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) playoff debut with a loss to Merrimack College in the quarterfinals.
The Pioneers took their first game of the tournament 71-58 against cross-town rival Fairfield University on March 11. Senior guard Amiri Stewart had a strong game, finishing with 18 points and eight rebounds.
“It’s a big day for our university and our program to be playing in the playoffs and to get a win against your crosstown rival,” said head coach Anthony Latina.
Source: Instagram, @shu_menshoops
This was the Pioneers’ third win over Fairfield this season, giving them a matchup record of 3-0. Before this season, the men have never won a game against the Stags.
“The first time that Fairfield played us a couple years ago, we had felt like we had arrived and now we are going head-to-head with them,” said Latina. “It was a great game, we jumped on them early, and we led for 38 minutes and 21 seconds.”
“We usually go out there and try to set a tone, which makes us get out to a fast start,” said redshirt junior Tanner Thomas, who finished right behind Stewart with 14 points and six rebounds.
Advancing to the semifinals on March 12, the Pioneers played their second game in the playoffs versus No. 2 seed, Merrimack. A tough battle uphill all game, Stewart was able to tie the game with two seconds left on the clock, forcing a five minute overtime.
However, it was Merrimack that dominated the overtime and sealed the semifinal game 66-62, sending Sacred Heart home in their inaugural MAAC tournament.
“I’m proud of our team,” said Latina. “We didn’t play our best, and I think Merrimack had a part in that. We sent it to overtime, and we had some chances. They deserve some credit for finishing it out, but I am really proud of our guys and what they established.”
Stewart was again a prominent figure in the semifinals, finishing with 19 points and six rebounds. Redshirt junior Anquan Hill also put in an impressive performance with 14 points and 21 rebounds.
“Even the last two games against [Merrimack] were one-point games. We just came up short; I expect to have a lot more great matchups with them,” said Hill. The team ended their first season in the MAAC conference with a record of 15-18 and 10-10 within conference play. This record holds the most conference wins in the last three years, in a conference they were picked to finish No. 13 in.
“Sports can be cruel, the highs are really high and the lows are really low, and we are feeling that right now. I don’t think we will be picked 13 again,” said Latina.
Sacred Heart Athletics contributed to this article.
