ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Interstat) — In a stunning reversal of fortune from their regular-season meeting, the Sacred Heart Pioneers rode a dominant second-half performance and a career night from Nyle Ralph-Beyer to upset the Iona Gaels 91-80 on Thursday in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament game at Boardwalk Hall.

The Pioneers, who lost by 12 to Iona at home in December, avenged that defeat decisively, overcoming a slow start to seize control after halftime and never relinquishing it. The victory improved Sacred Heart’s record to 14-18 and ended Iona’s season at 18-14.

The game’s pivotal shift came in the opening minutes of the second half. Trailing 29-34 at the break, Sacred Heart emerged from the locker room with renewed aggression. They opened the period on a 15-4 run, turning a five-point deficit into a six-point lead in under four minutes. The surge was fueled by transition baskets and stifling defense that disrupted Iona’s rhythm.

Ralph-Beyer, a 6-foot-4 guard from West Chester, Pennsylvania, was the catalyst throughout. He scored a game-high 26 points, including a crucial stretch of eight consecutive points for the Pioneers late in the first half that kept them within striking distance. His back-to-back 3-pointers during that personal run answered Iona’s attempts to pull away and set the stage for the second-half explosion.

He was far from alone. Sacred Heart’s frontcourt duo of Anquan Hill and Yann Farell each contributed 19 points, providing consistent scoring and defensive presence. Point guard Mekhi Conner orchestrated the offense masterfully, dishing out 12 assists to go with nine points.

Iona, which entered the game as a 2.5-point favorite, was led by Luke Jungers’ 20 points and Lamin Sabally’s 16 points and eight assists. The Gaels shot erratically, particularly from beyond the arc, and were unable to mount a sustained response to Sacred Heart’s second-half onslaught.

The first half was a choppy affair, with both teams struggling for offensive consistency. Iona built an early 12-4 lead behind the interior play of Khalil Badru and Sabally. Sacred Heart countered with Ralph-Beyer’s shooting, but the Gaels maintained a slim advantage for much of the period, leading by as many as eight points.

The final minutes before halftime proved critical. After Iona’s Kosy Akametu hit a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 29-23 with just six seconds left, Sacred Heart inbounded the ball quickly. A sequence of passes found Farell, who drained a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer, cutting the deficit to 29-26 and sending the Pioneers into the intermission with palpable momentum.

That momentum carried over unmistakably. Sacred Heart’s 15-4 run to start the second half featured dunks from Dashon Gittens and Hill, and a Ralph-Beyer slam that forced an Iona timeout. The Pioneers’ lead ballooned to 13 points midway through the half as their ball movement and shot selection sharply contrasted with Iona’s forced attempts.

Every time the Gaels threatened, Sacred Heart had an answer. When Iona cut the lead to 60-58 with 10:33 remaining, Hill and Farell combined for seven quick points to push the advantage back to nine. In the final minutes, with Iona resorting to fouling, the Pioneers were steady at the line, sealing the 11-point victory.

The game’s total points, 171, sailed over the pregame over/under line of 147, reflecting the offensive explosion after the break where the two teams combined for 108 points.

Sacred Heart advances to face Merrimack on Friday in the tournament quarterfinals, continuing their pursuit in Atlantic City. Iona’s season, which included a double-overtime loss to Merrimack and an overtime win over Saint Peter’s in recent weeks, concludes with a disappointing early exit.