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Saint Francis faces a tough draw on Saturday when it welcomes the 11-5 Monmouth Hawks to Loretto for a 7 p.m. game. 

Monmouth is currently 3-2 in NEC play, with its most recent setback coming at the hands of Robert Morris on Saturday (69-56).  The Hawks and Flash have tangled 50 times with the all-time series
currently tied at 25.

Susan Robinson Fruchtl is 3-3 against Monmouth, with SFU's most recent victory coming in quarterfinal round of last season's NEC Tournament.  The Hawks won each of the teams' two regular season meetings last year, including a 65-61 decision at DeGol Arena.

Monday's game also pits Saint Francis' NEC-leading scoring offense (67.9 ppg) against Monmouth's second-ranked defense (56.3 ppg).

Saint Francis has opened the Northeast Conference slate with a 5-0 record for the first time since the 2003-04 season when the Flash went a perfect 18-0 in league action.  SFU is 4-0 at DeGol Arena this season and has won eight-straight contests in Loretto dating back to last season.


NEXT UP: LONG ISLAND
The Red Flash welcome Long Island to DeGol Arena on Saturday as the two teams meet for the second time this season.  It will mark the second time in 17 days that the NEC favorite Blackbirds and defending champion Saint Francis will play after SFU won Jan. 4's contest in Brooklyn, 63-60.  The Flash have won four straight and five of seven meetings between the two teams under Susan Robinson Fruchtl.


FLASH NEC'S EARLY RPI LEADER
The NCAA released its first official RPI rankings on Jan. 2 where the Red Flash debuted at 132.  However, after five straight Northeast Conference wins, Saint Francis has jumped well into the top 100.  As of Jan. 16, RealTimeRPI.com projects the SFU's RPI as 74 and its strength of schedule at 102.  The NEC's next highest RPI belongs to Robert Morris (107) which, at 8-7, has played 129th toughest schedule in the nation.


DALY REACHES 1,000-POINT MILESTONE
By scoring an even 14 points in Jan. 10, 2011's 75-62 win over Mount St. Mary's senior Allison Daly (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity) became Saint Francis' 20th 1,000-point scorer.  After scoring only 75 points as a freshman in 2007-08, Daly averaged just over 360 points per season as a sophomore and junior.


LILLEY RANKS AMONG NATION'S LEADERS
Brittany Lilley (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park)'s 15 assists against Kent State tied for the most in an NCAA?DI game so far this season.  As of Jan. 13, her 5.75 helpers per contest also ranked 14th in the country.


ROBINSON FRUCHTL CHASING 50th WIN
Saint Francis head coach Susan Robison Fruchtl earned her 40th career win with Nov. 28th's victory, 77-67, victory over Coppin State and now needs only two wins to reach 50.  Looking ahead, Robison Fruchtl needs nine wins to catch her predecessor Jill Poe (2003-07) in career wins.  Poe went 57-62 in her four seasons at the helm.


ROOKIE WILLIAMS HEATING UP
Freshman Alli Williams (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) has begun to emerge as one of SFU's key players.  The Red Flash rookie has averaged 10.5 points per game since exploding for 29 points against Kent State on Dec. 4.  After joining the starting lineup a game later in place of injured Shené Fleming, Williams scored 22 points at Howard and also had a strong outing at Duquesne, scoring 13.  She notched her first career double-digit rebounding night by grabbing 12 at Long Island on Jan. 4.  With 95 boards, she is currenly SFU's no. two rebounder.


LEACH EARNS SECOND NEC PLAYER OF?THE WEEK NOD
Senior Samantha Leach (Mount Sterling, Ohio/Miami Trace) scored no fewer than 15 points in any of Saint Francis' three NEC victories last week as the two-time All-NEC guard earned her second Choice Hotels Player of the Week honor this season. Leach averaged 19.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists during the stretch.  

Leach shot 47 percent from the field and thrived under pressure during a trio of wins that allowed Saint Francis to remain one of two NEC unbeatens (4-0). Helping the defending NEC champion Red Flash outlast the team picked to succeed them, she peaked by pouring in 25 points at Long Island.


DEEP THREATS LEACH, DALY PACE POTENT OFFENSE
As of Thursday afternoon's NCAA Statistical report, the Flash can stake claim to the country's 25th-best three-point field goal percentage.  Shooting a collective 36.7 percent (113-for-308), Saint Francis is paced from long range by the NEC's three-point leader Allison Daly (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity).  Daly is shooting 41.7 percent (48-for-115) from the arc.  SFU's 3FG percentage leader is Samantha Leach (Mount Sterling, Ohio/Miami Trace), who converts at a 41.8 percent (33-for-79) clip.