LAWRENCEVILLE — Kevin Baggett knew his team was tired with this being its fifth game in 10 days.
What he ended up watching was the worst case scenario.
Sacred Heart couldn’t miss and rolled up a centuries worth of points in a 105-85 victory over Rider on Monday afternoon at Alumni Gymnasium.
In total, the Pioneers made 15 3s — they hit their season average of 10 in the first half alone — and shot 61% from the floor overall.
“They played really well, they shot the ball well (and) we’re tired,” Baggett said. “We played a physical game on Saturday (at Saint Peter’s), then back today. Five in 10 days is a lot. We just didn’t play well.”
When the Broncs (2-16, 1-8) had a little bounce in their legs — they cut a deficit that swelled to 20 early in the second half back to 11 with 12:43 to go — Sacred Heart quickly smacked them back down with timely 3-pointers.
Three players made at least three treys for the Pioneers (7-13, 3-6), who have totaled 30 in their last two games.
Unsurprisingly, those have both been wins.
“They did the same thing last Wednesday when they beat Siena,” Baggett said. “We know what they were going to do. We talked about it. That was the main focus. We just didn’t get it done. I’m glade we’re done with this stretch.”
Anquan Hill scored a game-high 26 points and Dashon Gittens was right behind him with 25 for the Pioneers. SHU finished with five in double figures as Nyle Ralph-Beyer and Mekhi Conner had 14 each and Yann Farrell netted 16.
Conner and Gittens were both four of five from beyond the arc to combine for eight of the team’s 15 makes.
Farrell and Ralph-Beyer hit the two biggest 3s on back-to-back possessions after Rider had sliced the deficit to 11.
The 105 points are the most the Broncs have allowed since giving up 107 against Quinnipiac on Feb. 11, 2017, although they actually won that game, 112-107, behind 38 points from Jimmie Taylor.
“I wouldn’t say demoralizing, but it’s just tough,” Rider guard Flash Burton said. “Guys got to stay strong. Tonight we weren’t together for the full 40 minutes. When they made shots, we didn’t buy in together. We kind of put our heads down a little bit. We got growing to do and we’ll be better the next one.”
Burton scored 21 points for the Broncs (2-16, 1-8), AB Coulibaly had all 17 of his off the bench in the second half and Davis Bynum added 16.
Burton has netted at least 18 points in six of the last seven games.
“He and I talk about being a better student of the game and how teams are going to prepare for him every game,” Baggett said. “Then trust his teammates as well. He made some unbelievable passes early on and got guys involved early on, which helped him be able to score.
“He’s growing. It took him a little bit. A lot of times when you are going from being a freshman to a guy who is on the top of a scouting report. It’s an adjustment and I think Flash is starting to finally figure it out.”
A win would have actually taken Rider off the bottom of the MAAC table, but instead it’s planted firmly in the cellar.
“Now it’s just we shouldn’t even be thinking about the playoffs and keep it game by game and see where we get from there,” Burton said. “The record is going to fall where it falls. We were only two or three games away from the top four.”