BOX SCORE MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (March 8, 2014) – As Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year Malik Harmon (Queens, N.Y./Christ the King)'s last-gasp 3-pointer rimmed out and crashed harmlessly to the floor, the league's men's hoops programs were officially put on notice.

Despite Saint Francis U's, 60-57, NEC Semifinal loss to top seed and perennial power Robert Morris, the youthful Frankies showed that the difference between the two teams on Saturday was as slim as ever.

"When you get a taste of something, you get even more hungry," said Saint Francis All-NEC forward Earl Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter). "We want it all. We have to put our hard hats on and get to the championship game next year."

While the Red Flash finished its season with a modest 10-21 mark, it doubled its win total from the previous season, won five games on the road (which is one shy of its road wins from the previous four seasons combined) and saved its best for last.

Three days prior to its season-ending loss, Saint Francis won its first postseason game since 1996 by eliminating a senior-laden Bryant squad on its home floor, 55-54.  The road playoff win, just the second during the Red Flash's tenure in the NEC, was the program's first since 1989.

And a feat the Frankies, who will welcome back every one of its key contributors in 2014-15, nearly duplicated within 67 hours.

"We accomplished something we haven't accomplished in a long time… and I told our guys not to hang their heads," said second-year SFU coach Rob Krimmel. "They have nothing to be ashamed of. We just have to work hard to keep moving forward next season. It was a great playoff atmosphere, and credit Robert Morris. They battled back."

Robert Morris (21-12) claimed a quick 6-2 lead in Saturday's contest before Saint Francis willed its possession-oriented style on the Colonials.  The result was a 16-to-2 Red Flash run spanning the next nine-and-a-half minutes.

SFU led by as many as 10 points during the run before a late burst by Robert Morris made the score 20-15, Flash, at the intermission.

RMU opened the second half with a 15-2 run to turn its halftime deficit into an eight-point advantage. Colonials senior Karvel Anderson, the 2014 NEC Player of the Year, went 6-for-6 at the free-throw line in the first four and-a-half minutes after intermission, and a jumper from Stephan Hawkins capped the run for Robert Morris, which led by as many as 11 during the second half.

Saint Francis chewed up the deficit late and twice came within a point – 55-54 on a Ronnie Drinnon (Jamestown, Ohio/Greenview) dunk and 57-56 on a pair of Ben Millaud-Meunier (Montreal, Quebec/Vanier) free throws with 1:35 left.

"We were prepared because we knew they had a run in them, and we had some defensive problems," Brown said. "We didn't give up and came back with our own run, and when Ronnie got the steal and dunk, we feel like we had it."

Brown scored 18 to lead the Red Flash and Millaud-Meunier added 15.  Drinnon finished with a game-high nine rebounds.

For Robert Morris, Anderson and Lucky Jones came up big with 21 and 18 points, respectively.