ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Interstat) — Kevair Kennedy scored 24 points and Merrimack’s defense delivered a dominant first-half performance to set the tone in a 70-48 victory over Sacred Heart in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men’s basketball game Friday night at Boardwalk Hall.

The Warriors, improving to 22-10 overall, forced the Pioneers into a series of costly mistakes, turning 15 Sacred Heart turnovers into 22 points while holding their opponent to just 25 points in the opening period. Merrimack also controlled the interior, outscoring Sacred Heart 30-16 in the paint and adding 15 fastbreak points to the Pioneers’ none.

Sacred Heart, which fell to 14-19, never recovered from a cold start that saw Merrimack build a double-digit lead midway through the first half. The Pioneers shot poorly from the field and failed to generate any momentum, finishing the game with zero points off turnovers and zero fastbreak points.

Kennedy, a guard from Philadelphia, was the catalyst for Merrimack, adding six assists in 37 minutes. His backcourt partner, Tye Dorset of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, contributed 10 points and five assists, while Ernest Shelton, another Philadelphia native, chipped in 18 points.

The Warriors seized control early with a 14-2 run that turned a narrow 11-9 lead into a 25-11 advantage. The surge was fueled by defensive pressure, as Merrimack converted Sacred Heart turnovers into easy baskets. A steal and layup by Kennedy, followed by a Shelton three-pointer off another Pioneer miscue, highlighted the stretch that effectively decided the game before halftime.

Sacred Heart showed brief signs of life after the break, cutting the deficit to 47-42 on a dunk by Anquan Hill with just over 16 minutes remaining. But Merrimack responded immediately with a decisive 13-3 run over the next five minutes, restoring a 60-45 lead and extinguishing the comeback attempt. Kennedy and Dorset combined for nine points during the pivotal sequence.

Hill led Sacred Heart with 18 points and two blocks. Yann Farell of Crowley, Texas, added 11 points, and point guard Mekhi Conner from New Haven, Connecticut, finished with 10 points and five assists. The Pioneers’ offense, however, was consistently disrupted by Merrimack’s active hands and transition defense.

The victory was Merrimack’s third this season over Sacred Heart, having also won the two regular-season meetings in December and February. The Warriors entered the game as a slight pregame favorite and outperformed statistical projections that gave them a 79 percent chance to win. The combined score of 118 points fell well under the pregame over/under line of 141.5.

Merrimack set the defensive tone from the opening tip, limiting Sacred Heart to one-and-done possessions and capitalizing on every mistake. The Warriors’ ability to convert defense into instant offense, particularly in the first half, was the most important aspect of the game, establishing a margin that the Pioneers could never seriously challenge.

Both teams now await their seeding and matchups for the upcoming MAAC tournament.