Chauncey Hardy scored 22 points to lead Sacred Heart over Central Connecticut State 76-64 in the Northeast Conference quarterfinals on Thursday. Joey Henley added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the third-seeded Pioneers (17-13). Junior Corey Hassan chipped in with 13 points, including three 3-pointers, and Ryon Howard had nine points and 10 rebounds. SHU led 33-25 at half, but sixth-seeded Central cut the lead to 39-35 with 16:56 left in the game. The Pioneers responded with a 13-4 run to take a 52-39 lead with 13:56 remaining and their advantage would not dip below nine points the rest of the way. Robby Ptacek scored 15 points to lead the Blue Devils (13-17). Ken Horton and David Simmons each added 12 points. SHU will play Mount St. Mary's in the semifinals on Sunday.
