Leede Arena - Hanover, N.H.
Setting the Scene... After an eight-day hiatus, the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team hits the road to take on Dartmouth on Monday, Dec. 10. at noon at Leede Arena in Hanover, N.H.
All-Time Vs. Dartmouth... In the lone contest the teams have played against each other, the Pioneers lead the series 1-0.
Last Meeting... Led by 19 points and five assists from Sean Hoehn, the Sacred Heart men's basketball team earned a 79-73 win over the Dartmouth Big Green on Dec. 5, 2017 at the Pitt Center.
SHU led 28-25 with 3:37 to play in the first half when Hoehn bookended a quick 8-2 run with three-pointers to put the Pioneers ahead 36-27. Dartmouth would cut the lead to six before a Zach Radz driving layup in the final seconds of the half gave SHU a 40-32 halftime lead. SHU used a 12-0 run in the second half to take a 60-42 lead with 10:53 to play. Alex Watson scored five points in that run with Radz making three free throws to cap it. Dartmouth made a late push in the last couple minutes, but only got as close as six points.
Scouting Dartmouth... The Big Green come into the contest at 5-5, having lost four of its last six contests. Chris Knight's 15.6 points per game leads the team, while his 6.6 rebounds per game is second on the team behind Adrease Jackson's 7.3 rebounds per game.
Last Time Out... Jare'l Spellman's tip-in with three seconds remaining pushed the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team past Lafayette, 64-62, on the road Sunday afternoon at the Kirby Sports Center. The win pushed the Pioneers to 4-5 on the year, while the Leopards fell to 2-5.
After SHU pushed its lead to 37-27, Lafayette went on a 22-11 run over 10:38 of play to take a 49-48 lead over the Pioneers with 7:59 remaining in the second half. SHU cut the run with a LaRose three-pointer to take a 51-49 lead, but the Leopards responded with an 11-3 run to push its lead over the Pioneers to 60-54 with 4:12 remaining in regulation.
Trailing 60-56, the Pioneers went on an 8-2 run to tie the game at 62-62 with 42 seconds left in regulation, with Jare'l Spellman and LaRose tallying all eight points for the Pios.With three seconds remaining, Cameron Parker missed a layup but Spellman tipped in the rebound to give SHU a 64-62 win. Spellman led the way with 18 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks for the Pioneers, all career-highs, while Kinnon LaRose added 15 points and nine rebounds in the win.
Oh Captain, Our Captain... The Pioneers' leading scorer from last season, Sean Hoehn, is currently second in the NEC in scoring, averaging 19.8 points per game. Hoehn is shooting 44.7% from the field and 40.6% from three so far this season.
Everybody Eats... Jare'l Spellman tallied 18 points and 13 rebounds against Lafayette for the first collegiate double-double of his career. He is the third Pioneer player to record a double-double with points and assists this season as E.J. Anosike and Kinnon LaRose each did so once earlier this season.
Big on the Boards... E.J. Anosike has been a big contributer for the Pioneers on the boards. Anosike's 7.9 rebounds per game, which leads the team and is third in the NEC. Anosike's 3.89 offensive rebounds per game is tops in the NEC and 10th in the nation.
Protecting the Ball... The Pioneers are averaging 16.67 assists per game and have a 1.25 assist-to-turnover ratio, which both rank first in the NEC. Both Cameron Parker and Sean Hoehn rank in the top-10 in the conference in both assists per game and assist-to-turnover ration. Parker's 7.8 assists a game ranks first, while Hoehn's 3.22 a game ranks seventh. Parker's 2.30 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks second in the NEC, while Hoehn's 1.04 ranks ninth.
Efficiency is Everything... The Pioneers have three players ranked in the top-15 in the NEC in field goal percentage. Jare'l Spellman ranks second in the NEC, shooting 56.5% from the field. E.J. Anosike's 47.1% ranks 11th in the conference, while Zach Radz is shooting .458 from the floor which places him 14th.
NEC Rookie of the Week... Freshman guard Cameron Parker was named the Northeast Conference Men's Basketball Rookie of the Week, as announced by the league office Monday, Dec. 3. Coming off the bench, Parker dished for 9.0 assists per game, while also contributing 7.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per outing in a 2-1 week for the Pioneers. He shot 50.0 percent from three-point territory and 84.6 percent from the line.
Sean the Scoring Machine... Sean Hoehn has scored in double-figures in eight of its first nine games, leading the team in scoring and dropping at least 20 points in five of the eight contests. Hoehn topped his previous career-high of 31 points, by dropping 35 points against Binghamton on Nov. 24, including a career-high seven made three-pointers.
Heating Up... Kinnon LaRose has scored in double-figures in four of the last five contests, including a season-high 20-point performance against UMass Lowell. LaRose most recent double-figure output was a 15-point performance in a 64-62 win at Lafayette.
Have a Day Jare'l... Jare'l Spellman had a career day in SHU's 64-62 win over Lafayette. Along with scoring the game-winner, Spellman tallied 18 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks, which were all career-highs for the big man.
Swiper, No Swiping... Sean Hoehn is averaging 1.78 steals a game which is ranks seventh in the conference. Hoehn has recorded multiple steals in four of the Pioneers' nine games and has recorded at least three steals in a game three times.
Close but No Cigar... The Pioneers are being outscored by 6.8 points per game in losses. Three of the Pioneers' five losses have been by five or less points.
Where the Pioneers' Rank in the Nation... The Pioneers are averaging 16.7 assists per game which is 32nd in the nation, while its total 140 assists on the season ranks 30th. The Pioneers score 83.2 points per game on average, which is 42nd-most in the nation.
Shooters Shoot... Sean Hoehn and Kinnon LaRose are among the top three-point marksmen in the NEC. Hoehn is averaging 3.11 made three-pointers a game which ranks third in the conference, while LaRose is knocking down 1.67 threes per game.
Let it Fly... Through nine games, the Pioneers have remained hot beyond the arc. SHU is shooting 36.2% from three so far this season, which ranks fourth in the NEC.
Scoring is a Habit... Freshman guard Aaron Clarke is averaging 10.8 points per game and has been able to do it from all levels. Clarke is shooting 44.7% from the field, 32.5% from three and 84.2% from the free-throw line. Clarke has scored in double-figures in five of the Pioneers' nine games, scoring 16 points twice and dropping a career-high 24 points against Army West Point on 9-for-12 shooting and 4-for-6 from three.