Feb. 14, 2009
Flash Comeback Bid Falls Short Against Sacred Heart
LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis men’s basketball team stormed back from a 19-point second half deficit, but wound up dropping a disappointing 72-57 decision against Sacred Heart on Saturday night, at DeGol Arena.
Junior Devin Sweetney (Washington, D.C. / Riverdale Baptist) had 16 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks, and senior Kyle Jackson (Bolingbrook, Ill. / Plainfield Central) tied a career high with 12 points to go with four rebounds and a block.
Joey Henley led all scorers with 21 points and five rebounds for the Pioneers, and Corey Hassan added 16 points and six assists.
SFU fell to 5-20 overall, and 2-12 in the Northeast Conference with the loss, while SHU improved to 12-13 overall, and 9-6 in the NEC.
Senior Cale Nelson (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) made a layup to pull the Red Flash within 39-30 at halftime. However, Sacred Heart used a 13-3 run to open the second half and build its largest lead of the game, 52-33, with 11:33 remaining.
But the Red Flash responded with a big run of their own to get right back in it with under 10 minutes to play. Senior Marquis Ford (St. Petersburg, Fla. / St. Petersburg) started the run with a pair of free throws and Jackson tallied six points during an 11-0 run that pulled SFU within 52-44 with 9:15 left. The run was capped by a Nelson 3-pointer, followed by a Jackson steal on the inbound pass and a layup to bring the Saint Francis to their feet.
Ryan Litke answered with a 3-pointer, but SFU went on another 6-1 run to get as close as six points, 56-50, with 6:17 to play. However, the Pioneers recovered and never let the Red Flash get any closer. SHU hit 8-of-11 free throws inside five minutes to seal the victory.