BOX SCORE

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (Feb. 25, 2012) – The Saint Francis University men's basketball fell in its season finale Saturday at Sacred Heart, 72-57.
 
The Red Flash (6-23, 5-13) fell victim to a monster second half from the Pioneers' (14-17, 8-10) Shane Gibson, who posted 22 second half points to lead Sacred Heart to the win. Anthony Ervin (Chesterfield, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) posted 20 points for the Red Flash but the junior could not keep pace with Gibson. Earl Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) posted another double-digit scoring effort but it was not enough to rescue the Red Flash.
 
Both teams started the game slowly offensively and the first field goal was not recorded until the 17:20 on a Scott Eatherton (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) put back. The teams combined to start the game 2-of-12 from the field. The Red Flash started the game on a 9-0 run but Sacred Heart answered with a 7-0 run of its own. Jon Taylor (Bowie, Md./Montgomery College-Germantown) knocked down an 18-foot jump shot to end the Pioneer run. Following the early runs the game stayed tight with Sacred Heart slowing chipping into the SFU advantage and the Pioneers eventually grabbing a 20-18 lead. Sacred Heart took a slim three point lead into the locker room, 28-25, thanks to an 8-4 run to close the half.
 
The Pioneers stormed out of the locker room to start the second half 13-6 run to open up a 10 point advantage, which was fueled by the NEC's leading scorer Gibson. The Red Flash responded with excellent outside shooting from Ervin.  The second half turned into a duel at one point with Gibson and Ervin trading big 3-point baskets, eventually SFU trim the Sacred Heart lead to just a three point margin, 46-43. But the Flash cooled off quickly and went more than seven minutes without a field goal. The Pioneers took full advantage and went on a 12-0 run opening up a 15 point advantage.
 
The Red Flash chipped into the lead thanks to pair of traditional three-point plays from Brown and had the Sacred Heart lead to 11 with just three minutes to play. However the Flash would get no closer as Sacred Heart secured the win and gave its seniors one final curtain call.  
 
GAME NOTES
- Both teams started the game slow going 2-for-12 to start and SFU held Sacred Heart without a field goal until 12:46. The slow start is especially strange as Sacred Heart and Saint Francis entered the game third and fourth in NEC play in field goal percentage.
 
- The two teams put their hot shooting on display to start the second half and combined to go 9-for-11 from the field to start the second stanza.
 
- By the 11:47 of the first half, Earl Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) had recorded double the number of rebounds he did against Quinnipiac.  
 
- Brown posted double-digits for the fifth-time in the final nine game of the season for the Flash. The freshman started the season with just one double figure effort in his first 17 games.
 
- Scott Eatherton (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) was held to single digits for just the seventh time this season.
 
- The Red Flash struggled rebounding the ball in the second half and picked up just seven second half rebounds. In the second stanza SFU was out rebounded 7-to-15 by the Pioneers.
 
- The Red Flash featured just nine healthy players for the sixth-time this season as backup guard Matt Mazzara (State College, Pa./State College Area) missed the a hand injury.