Another tough loss for Sacred Heart boys

The Sacred Heart boys basketball team will return to Connecticut with something it hasn’t had in a long time — a losing streak.
The Hearts lost their second straight game, 73-72 to Long Island Lutheran of New York, in the final game of the Big Apple Basketball High School Invitational Monday evening at Baruch College. Sacred Heart falls to 8-2 with the loss while “LuHi” improves to 13-2.
Mustapha Heron, who was given the Sportsmanship Award after the game, led all scorers with 41 points. NY RENs AAU teammate Devonte Green had 39 to lead L.I. Lutheran.
Heron and Green both went nuts in the third quarter, according to an account from Ari Kramer of Newsday.
“Very interesting quarter as Devonte Green and Mustapha Heron each go for 15,” Kramer tweeted. “LuHi takes a 52-50 lead into the fourth.”
The game stayed close in the fourth quarter and went back and forth in the final minutes. After L.I. Lutheran made a shot to go ahead 73-72 in the final seconds, Heron drove the ball up the floor. His 3 from the right wing came up short, as did Sacred Heart.
Heron had 13 rebounds and shot 12-for-12 from the foul line, according to final game statistics posted by Kramer on Twitter. No other Heart reached double figures. Tyrn Flowers was in foul trouble, according to game accounts. John Riddick and Raheem Solomon also ended the game with four fouls.
Charles Manning scored the game-winning bucket for LuHi. He ended the evening with 13 points.
Sacred Heart outrebounded LuHi 35-34, but had 13 turnovers to just nine for their opponents.
For full accounts of the game, check out the Waterbury Republican-American’s Joe Palladino on The Zone, CTHoopsNews, and Newsday’s Ari Kramer.
Sacred Heart returns to NVL — and in-state play — on Friday at Alumni Hall against Naugatuck at 7 p.m.