BOX SCORE WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (Jan. 10, 2013) – Saint Francis outscored its opponent in second half for third consecutive game but couldn't erase a nine-point halftime deficit, falling 65-60 at Monmouth on Thursday.

Sophomore Earl Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) continued his impressive mid-season tear, positing his fourth consecutive double-double with 11 points and 12 boards.  Stephon Whyatt (Jersey City, N.J./St. Peter's Prep) paced SFU (1-13; 1-2 Northeast) with 13 points, while Ben Millaud-Meunier (Montreal, Quebec/Vanier) scored a career-high 11 on a pair of 3-pointers and a 5-of-5 night from the free throw line.

“We knew coming in that they were going to pressure the basketball and they were going to make this a game where we were going to have to make basketball plays,” said SFU head coach Rob Krimmel.  “I thought for the better part of 40 minutes we did that.  We had a stretch in the first half where we struggled to score for a little bit but our guys battled and came out in the second half with some energy.”

Saint Francis led by as many as six points in the first half (23-17) but Monmouth (6-10; 1-2) was able to pull ahead with a 20-to-5 run to end the period. 

SFU opened second half with a 14-4 run keyed by eight points from Whyatt to pull the Red Flash to within one, 43-42.  Saint Francis took its only lead of the second half of a Dominique Major (Woodbridge, Va./Forest Park) 3-pointer at the 10:36 mark. 

The score was tied twice after that and as late as the 8:39 mark in a game that went down to the wire.

Jesse Steele led the Hawks with 17 points, while Andrew Nicholas chipped in 15.

Behind Brown's 11 and nine from Stephon Mosely, the Red Flash won the battle of the boards, 42-37.  Monmouth shot 40% from the floor (22-of-54) while SFU fired at a 31% (18-of-58) clip.

“We've got to grow from this and make some more plays on Saturday but we've got to keep working, keep rebounding and control the things that we can control,” said Krimmel  “We've got a great attitude right now and we'll get back on the floor tomorrow to get ready for Fairleigh Dickinson.”

Tipoff against the Knights is slated for 7 p.m.  Robert Morris downed FDU 88-54 in Hackensack on Thursday.