• Saint Francis men's basketball fell 89-75 at Duquesne on Wednesday night at the Palumbo Center.
• SFU forward Josh Nebo (Houston, Texas/Cypress Lakes) recorded his second career double-double, with 17 points and 16 rebounds.
• Nebo led four SFU players in double-figures.
• Duquesne's hot shooting in second half (62.1 percent) allowed them to pull away from Red Flash.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Sophomore forward Josh Nebo (Houston, Texas/Cypress Lakes) recorded his second career double-double, but due to a hot second half by Duquesne, the Saint Francis basketball team fell 89-75 on Wednesday at the Palumbo Center.  The Red Flash dropped to 0-2 to start the season, while the Dukes improved to 3-1.

Duquesne closed the first half on a 12-1 run and carried that momentum into the second half, when they shot 62.1 percent from the field.

Nebo posted 17 points, on six-of-nine from the floor, and 16 rebounds, both career highs, to lead the Red Flash.  The sophomore also had two blocks.  Nebo was one of four SFU players in double-figures on the night, with Randall Gaskins adding 12 points, while Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) and Georgios Angelou (Halkida, Greece/Lykeio Kanithou) each contributed 11 points.  Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./The Lawrenceville School) had eight points and Scott Meredith (Pilot Mountain, N.C./Hargrave Military Academy (Va.)) had seven.  Nebo's first career double-double came in a 63-57 win over Bryant on January 21, 2016.

Saint Francis shot 42.6 percent from the field (26-of-61) and 40 percent from three, hitting 10 from three-point range.  Angelou and Blackmon each connected three times from three-point range.  The Red Flash also kept a tight battle on the boards, with Duquesne winning that battle, 38-37.

However, the Dukes used their second half surge to shoot 52.5 percent for the game (32-of-61) and 52 percent from three (13-of-25).  Rene Castro led the Dukes with 26 points, including six threes, and Tarin Smith added 23 points.  Isiaha Mike had 16 points, on six-of-nine shooting, including four threes, and six boards.

The Red Flash led for over 16 minutes in the first half, but Duquesne went into the break with a 38-36 lead with a 12-1 run over the final four minutes of the half.

Nebo led Saint Francis with 11 points, on four-of-six shooting, nine rebounds and two blocks.  Scott Meredith (Pilot Mountain, N.C./Hargrave Military Academy (Va.)) added seven points, while Georgios Angelou (Halkida, Greece/Lykeio Kanithou) had six points on a pair of threes.  Saint Francis shot 41 percent, making 12-of-29 shots, including 40 percent from three on 6-of-15 shooting.  

Saint Francis used a 15-5 run to jump out to a 20-10 lead.  SFU held four 10-point leads in the first 20 minutes.  The run was sparked by a Nebo dunk with 15:11 to go in the half.  The run included three-pointers by Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./The Lawrenceville School), Gaskins and Meredith.  Braxton's three capped the run with 11:12 remaining in the half and Meredith's jumper a minute later brought SFU's lead back to 10.  

A three by Angelou put Saint Francis up 33-23 with 5:07 to go.  Saint Francis led 35-26 after a dunk by Nebo with 4:17 left, but was held without a basket for the rest of the half as Duquesne took the lead on a 12-1 run, including two threes by Castro and four points by Smith.

Duquesne started the second half just as hot as they finished the first, hitting six-of-seven shots to open the half, pushing its lead to 51-42 in the first 4:16 of the half.  A tip-in by Nebo cut the Dukes lead to five, 51-46, with 14:56 left and a three by Blackmon again cut Duquesne's lead to five, 62-57 with 10:08 to go.  

However, over the next 6:54, Saint Francis hit just three shots from the field, jumpers by Braxton and Gaskins and a three by Angelou, allowing Duquesne to extend its lead to 80-68 with 3:14 remaining.  Mike hit a couple threes and Smith added another during that stretch.  The Dukes then hit five free throws, three by Smith and two by Castro to reach their largest lead, 85-68, with 2:20 left.

The Red Flash makes its home debut on Saturday as it hosts Chatham at DeGol Arena.  Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., after the conclusion of the women's basketball game against Columbia, which starts at 4 p.m.  Both games will be broadcast on NEC Front Row.