Get to Know the 2017-2018 Sacred Heart Basketball Roster
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Get to know the 2017-2018 Sacred Heart basketball roster These are the young men who will be representing our school on the court this season.
2017-2018 Roster
2017-2018 Roster
The 2017-2018 Sacred Heart basketball team will look to build on the success of last year’s team. The roster is filled with talented players who are ready to compete at the highest level
Head Coach: Anthony Latina
Assistant Coaches:
-Brian Bunn
-Derek Mitchell
Athletic Trainer:
-Sean Collins
Player Development:
-Andre Chatfield
New Additions to the Team
The 2017-2018 Sacred Heart Pioneers men’s Basketball team represents Sacred Art University during the 2017-18 NCAA Division I men’s Basketball season The Pioneers, led by third-year Head Coach Anthony Latina, play their home games at the William H. Pitt Center in Fairfield, Connecticut as members of the East Conference
The Pioneers finished the 2016-17 season 11–19, 6–12 in NEC play to finish in a tie for ninth place. As the No. 9 seed in the NEC Tournament, they defeated St. Francis Brooklyn in the First Round before losing to Saint Francis U in the Quarterfinals.
This season, the Pioneers will have four new additions to their roster: Romario Mitchell, Tyler Thomas, Najee Garvin, and Mamadou Diarra.
Key Returners
The Pioneers will look to build on last season’s momentum with a largely experienced roster.Leading the charge will be redshirt senior Candice Dupree and junior Katherine Ponde, who each averaged over 11 points per game last season. Other key returners include sophomore Gabby Giacalone, who started 16 games as a freshman, and junior Morgan Rachad, who led the team in steals (56) and was second in assists (85).
Players to Watch
Freshman Megan Kitahara comes to Sacred Heart from Hilo, Hawaii. The 5’7” guard was one of the Top Players in the state of Hawaii, averaging 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game as a senior. Kitahara was named a First Team All-State selection by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser as well as the Big Island Interscholastic Federation West Division Player of the Year.
Junior Lily Simmons returns to Sacred Heart after a standout sophomore season in which she averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds per game and was named Second Team All-NEC. Simmons led the Pioneers in scoring in NEC play last year, averaging 15 points per game
Sophomore Candice Wilmore will look to build on a strong freshman campaign in which she averaged 8 points and 6 rebounds per game Wilmore was named NEC Rookie of the Week three times last season and capped off her year with a 16-point, 10-rebound performance against Robert Morris in the NEC Tournament Quarterfinals.
The Coaching Staff
The 2017-2018 season will be Coach Ellerbe’s fourth season as the head men’s basketball coach of the Sacred Heart Pioneers. He will be complemented by assistant coaches Rasheed Wright, Will Conroy, and Sharif Washington. Under their leadership, the team has had three consecutive 20-win seasons and have made an appearance in the Northeast conference tournament each year.
The Schedule
The 2017-2018 Sacred Heart Basketball Schedule is now available. Check it out to see when your favorite team will be playing next.
The Conference
The Sacred Heart Pioneers compete in the East Conference (NEC). The conference consists of 10 members: Bryant, Central Connecticut Fairleigh Dickinson Liu Brooklyn Mount St. Mary’s, Robert Morris St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U., Wagner, and Sacred Heart
The conference operates on a double round-robin format meaning each team plays every other team twice during the course of the season. At the end of the regular season the NEC holds a conference tournament with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament
The Arena
The William H. Pitt Center, nicknamed “The Arena”, is a 3,486-seat multi-purpose arena in Fairfield, Connecticut. The Pitt Center opened in 1998 and is home to the Sacred Heart Pioneers men’s and women’s basketball teams as well as the men’s and women’s volleyball teams. The arena is also used for commencement exercises, concerts, and various other events.
The Fans
No matter where the Sacred Heart Pioneers play, their fans will be there to support them. From Connecticut to New York, Maine to Maryland, Sacred Heart fans spread out across the Northeast and beyond to show their pioneer pride. Whenever the team is on the road, no matter how far away the game is, you can be sure to find a group of Sacred Heart fans in attendance.
The Tradition
The Sacred Heart Pioneers men’s basketball team represents Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States The school’s team currently competes in the East Conference They are currently led by head coach Anthony Latina and play their home games at the William H. Pitt Center on the university campus.
The Pioneers have appeared in one NCAA Division I Tournament. Their lone appearance came in 1999 as a #16 seed where they lost to #1 Duke in the first round. The Pioneers have appeared in two National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their first appearance came as a #5 seed where they defeated UMass Lowell before losing to Florida State in the second round. Their second appearance came as a #6 seed where they again defeated UMass Lowell before losing to Syracuse in the second round. The Pioneers have also appeared in one college basketball Invitational (CBI), winning one game against Quinnipiac before losing to Duquesne in the quarterfinals.
The Pioneers have appeared in two Conference Tournament Championship Games In 1999, they defeated Mount St. Mary’s to win the Northeast conference tournament and earn their first and only berth into the NCAA Tournament and again in 2017 when they lost to LIU Brooklyn despite holding a 13-point lead with nine minutes remaining in regulation play, 54-67.”
