Saint Francis Media Notes
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NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - The Saint Francis men's basketball team returns to action on Saturday afternoon when it takes on Central Connecticut. The game is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. start following the women's game between the two schools. 

Saint Francis is coming off a thrilling 71-65 victory at Bryant on Thursday night after trailing by as many as 19 points in the first half. Freshman Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) provided the spark, scoring 16 of his career-high 19 points in the second half. Fellow freshman Josh Nebo (Katy, Texas/Cypress Lakes) recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. 

A win for the Red Flash would give Saint Francis its first-ever three-game road winning streak in NEC play. It would also be the Flash's first three-game road winning streak since January 1981, when the team won four in a row on the road.

NOTES FROM BRYANT

• Bryant used a 15-0 run late in the first half to extend its lead to a game-high 19 points, 45-26, with 32 seconds to play in the half.
• Saint Francis held Bryant scoreless for 6:43 late in the second half to turn a six-point deficit into a four-point lead.
• The Red Flash held Bryant to 0-for-8 shooting from three-point range in the second half after allowing the Bulldogs to go 6-for-12 in the first half.
• Josh Nebo (Katy, Texas/Cypress Lakes)'s double-double is the first of his career. 
• Ronnie Drinnon (Jamestown, Ohio/Greenview) came just two rebounds shy of his sixth double-double in a row. 
• The win was the first for the Red Flash when trailing at halftime and when trailing by at least 10 points since beating Rutgers in Dec. 2014.
• The win stopped the Flash from losing three straight games for the first time since last January, and it gave SFU back-to-back road wins for the first time since Dec. 2014. 

EPIC COMEBACK
When Saint Francis hit the locker room trailing, 45-28, the Flash were being outshot 59.3 percent to 31 percent. Coming into the game, the Flash was also 0-9 this season when trailing at halftime. That script flipped directly on its head in the second half. Saint Francis shot 61.5 percent from the floor in the second half, including 6-for-10 from three-point range. Bryant shot just 30.4 percent from the floor and 0-for-8 from three-point range in the second. The Flash outscored Bryant, 43-20, in the second half.

OUTREBOUNDING OPPONENTS
The Red Flash outrebounded Bryant, 32-30, to give it six straight games with a rebounding advantage. Prior to this stretch, the longest such stretch of outrebounding opponents under Rob Krimmel was four games. The Flash is 6-3 this season when winning the rebounding column. 

NEBO DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Freshman Josh Nebo (Katy, Texas/Cypress Lakes) finished Thursday's game with 10 points and 10 rebounds, giving him his first collegiate double-double. He has reached double figures in scoring five times, and he's hit 10-plus rebounds twice. Nebo added two blocks in the victory.

BLACKMON TAKES CONTROL
Freshman Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) took control of the game in the second half at Bryant. Blackmon scored 16 of his game-high 19 points in the second half. In the second half, he went 7-for-8 from the field and made both of his three-point attempts. Blackmon scored those 16 points in the final 12:17 of the second half. His 19 points are a new high, topping the 17 he scored at UMES in November. 

STREAKS AVOIDED AND MAINTAINED
The win gave the Red Flash:

• its first win this season when trailing at halftime, snapping an 0-for-9 run in that category this year. 
• its first win when trailing by double-digit points since beating Rutgers last season.
• two straight road wins for the first time since beating Duquesne and Rutgers last year.
• back-to-back road NEC wins for the first time since beating LIU Brooklyn and FDU two years ago.
• a chance to win three straight road games for the first time ever in NEC play and first time overall since the 1980-81 season (won four straight).

DRINNON MOVING UP REBOUNDING LIST
Senior Ronnie Drinnon (Jamestown, Ohio/Greenview)'s eight rebounds at Bryant tied him for 16th place on the school's all-time rebounding list with Joe Anderson (1987-91) with 666 career rebounds. Jeff Hamilton (1981-85) is next on the list with 711 rebounds.

ABOUT CENTRAL CONNECTICUT
The Blue Devils enter Saturday's game on a nine-game losing streak after losing to Robert Morris on Thursday night, 59-45. CCSU's lone win of the season came at home over UMass Lowell, 83-79, in December. Freshman guard Austin Nehls is the team's leading scorer, averaging 11.7 points per game. Junior guard Khalen Cumberlander is just behind at 11.6 points per game. Senior forward is third on the team in scoring with 8.7 points per game, and he's the team's leading rebounder at 6.8 rpg.

LOOKING AHEAD
Saint Francis heads to Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday before hosting Robert Morris next Saturday night. Central Connecticut continues its four-game homestand next weekend with visits by Bryant and St. Francis Brooklyn. 

SERIES HISTORY
Central Connecticut leads the season series, 20-15. The teams split last year's two games, with CCSU winning at home in the team's second meeting, 53-50, in February.