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Second Half Rally Falls Short for Sacred Heart in NCAA Tournament First Four Tilt

3/21/2024


Columbia, SC – No. 16 Sacred Heart's (24-10) hope for a second NCAA Tournament victory in as many years fell just short and the Pioneers' win streak came to an end at 15 games in a hard-fought 49-42 defeat to No. 16 Presbyterian (21-4) at the First Four on Wednesday inside Colonial Life Arena.

Posting the most wins since the 2011-12 season, the Northeast Conference (NEC) regular season champion Pioneers repeated as NEC Tournament champions for the first time in program history in 2023-24. 

Sophomore guard Ny'Ceara Pryor, the two-time NEC Player of the Year, led the way for the Pioneers with 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a season-high seven steals. Sophomore guard Sierra Johnson also crossed double figures with 10 points and five boards, while NEC All-Rookie team member Nalyce Dudley came just shy of a double-double with nine points and 10 boards.  

The Blue Hose scored the game's first four points before a 7-2 Sacred Heart run put the Pioneers up 7-6. The game remained tight for the rest of the opening quarter, with Presbyterian taking a 14-9 lead into the second. Johnson led the way for Sacred Heart in a defensive first with four points. 

Presbyterian strengthened its lead in the second quarter, taking the frame by a 15-8 count to build a 29-17 advantage at halftime. 

The Pioneers began to flip the script in the third quarter. Crafting a 9-0 run midway through the frame, the Pioneers cut the margin to just one possession. The run, which featured a triple from graduate guard Olivia Tucker two straight Johnson buckets, brought the Blue Hose's lead down to 33-30.

Pryor also started to warm up with six points in the third. 

Trailing 35-30 at the start of the fourth, the Pios continued to rally with a quick Dudley score in the first 36 seconds of the frame to cut the margin back to three. Presbyterian rebuilt its advantage back to eight before a 5-0 Sacred Heart run set the margin back at three, 43-40, with 2:42 left. 

Unfortunately for the Pioneers, the Blue Hose hit clutch free throws down the stretch. Pryor, who ended up with a team-high 12 points, nailed a pair of free throws with 27.8 seconds left to make it 45-42, but Presbyterian countered with a pair at the other end to again make it a two possession game.

Sacred Heart did not find the basket after that, as Presbyterian took the 49-42 win.