FAIRFIELD, Conn. (Jan. 30, 2020) - Mount St. Mary's received a 20 point effort from sophomore Vado Morse, but inconsistent efforts from the rest of the team left the Mountaineers on the wrong end of a 58-53 final against the Sacred Heart Pioneers. 

Damian Chong Qui led a second half charge to keep the contest entertaining, scoring 16 points in the final 20 minutes. All other shooters went finished 6-for-27, leading to a team percentage of 34. 

Morse got the game off right for the Mountaineers (9-12, 5-3 NEC), scoring the game's first four points. Sacred Heart (13-9, 6-3 NEC) was held off the board thanks to stiff defense until the 15:18 mark. That bucket, however, kicked off a 7-0 Pioneer run and forced a Mount timeout with 13:29 in the first half. Morse tied the game with a trey, but the Pioneers grabbed the lead back and stayed ahead. Koreem Ozier was the main catalyst for the home squad, matching Morse with seven of his own by 6:30. Following a 15-15 tie, Sacred Heart went on an 11-0 run as the Mountaineers were held scoreless for four a half minutes. The teams traded baskets to a 31-20 Pioneer lead at halftime. 

Mount maintained striking distance in the early moments of the second half, cutting the deficit in half over five minutes. Ozier scored 10 of Sacred Heart's first 12 points to ensure Mount continued to chase, but Chong Qui strung together seven points, including a layup with 8:17 left to pull the Mountaineers within three. The game remained inside two possessions the rest of the way, but Sacred Heart managed a couple clutch layups and free throws to complete their victory. 

The Mount continues their road trip with a Saturday showdown against Fairleigh Dickinson in Hackensack.