Flash Points:

• SFU men's basketball hosts Central Connecticut State on Saturday in an NEC matchup broadcast on ESPN3.
• Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. at DeGol Arena.
• The Red Flash is 7-11 overall and 4-3 in NEC play after Thursday's 75-61 win over Bryant.
• It is Sideline Cancer Day, presented by The Griffith Family Foundation.

SFU Notes | CCSU Notes | ESPN3/WatchESPN | Live Stats | 3-Point Challenge | Sideline Cancer
 
LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis men's basketball team continues NEC play on Saturday as it battles Central Connecticut State at 3 p.m. at DeGol Arena.  The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 with Paul Dottino, play-by-play, and Joe DeSantis, color analyst, on the call.
 
The Red Flash, led by Head Coach Rob Krimmel, enters the game with a 7-11 record, including 4-3 in the NEC, after a 75-61 win over Bryant on Thursday.  Freshman Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./The Lawrenceville School) and sophomore Jamaal King (Salisbury, Md./Bishop O'Connell (Va.)) each scored 21 points and grabbed eight boards to lead the Red Flash.
 
Central Connecticut State, coached by Donyell Marshall, is 2-16 overall and 0-7 in the NEC.  The Blue Devils fell 74-67 at Robert Morris on Thursday.
 
Saturday's game will go towards supporting the SFU Sideline Cancer chapter.  Allegheny Brain & Spine Surgeons are the sponsor of the SFU chapter.  Sideline Cancer is presented by The Griffith Family Foundation with fundraisers held throughout the game.
 
NOTES FROM BRYANT
- Freshman Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./The Lawrenceville School) and sophomore Jamaal King (Salisbury, Md./Bishop O'Connell (Va.)) each had 21 points and eight rebounds to lead the Red Flash.
- Braxton hit 9-of-12 shots and added three assists, a block and four steals, while King made six shots and went 8-of-10 from the foul line. He also had four assists and two steals.
- Sophomore Andre Wolford (Willowick, Ohio/Saint Ignatius) made his first career start and contributed 13 points, on 6-of-10 shooting, over a career-high 28 minutes.
- Senior Georgios Angelou (Halkida, Greece/Lykeio Kanithou) had 10 points and four assists.
- Saint Francis shot 45 percent for the game, despite shooting a season-low 17 percent from three.
- Head Coach Rob Krimmel earned his 51st career win to move into a tie for eighth all-time at SFU with John Loughran (1920-24).
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Red Flash trails the all-time series, 20-17, against Central Connecticut State.  Saint Francis swept last year's matchups, winning 79-64 at CCSU on January 23, 2016 and 91-82 in Loretto on February 6, 2016.
 
NEC LEADERS
Through the first few weeks of conference play, Saint Francis owns the NEC's top offense through 18 games, leading the league in scoring (75.1 ppg), field goal percentage (45.7), three pointers made per game (8.4) and three-point percentage (38.7).  The Red Flash offense features a balanced attack with Jamaal King (Salisbury, Md./Bishop O'Connell (Va.)) (13.5), Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./The Lawrenceville School) (13.2), Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) (11.8) and Josh Nebo (Houston, Texas/Cypress Lakes) (11.1) all averaging double-digits in scoring.  SFU is the only NEC team with four players averaging double-figures.  Individually, Nebo tops the conference in blocks, averaging 2.11 per game.
 
FINDING NEBO
Like a lot of opponents this year, Robert Morris and Mount St. Mary's found sophomore forward Josh Nebo (Houston, Texas/Cypress Lakes) at the rim this past weekend, when he had seven and four blocks, respectively.  Nebo has become a force when it comes to protecting the rim.  After posting 59 blocks as a freshman, Nebo has 38 this year, with three in the win over Bryant.  His 97 career blocks are already good for fourth all-time at Saint Francis.  Nebo needs 8 more blocks to tie Earl Brown (2012-15) and Emmanuel Adekunle (1994-98) for third.  His seven blocks at RMU are tied for the 14th-most in a Division I game this year.  Nebo leads NEC with 2.11 blocks per game.
 
In the win over Robert Morris, Nebo added 23 points, on 10-of-12 shooting, and eight rebounds.  According to the NEC's Ron Ratner, Nebo is just the fifth player in Division I since 2010 to post 23 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks and shoot over 80 percent in the same game.  Nebo joins an elite group of players that includes former Kentucky forward and current New Orleans Pelican Anthony Davis.
 
KRIMMEL TIED FOR EIGHTH ON WINS LIST
Saint Francis Head Coach Rob Krimmel picked up his 51st career win on Thursday in SFU's 76-51 victory vs. Bryant.  He is now tied with John Loughran (1920-24) for eighth all-time at Saint Francis and four wins away from tying John Clark (1966-69) for seventh place.
 
3-POINT CHALLENGE
Saint Francis men's basketball is participating in the 2017 Coaches vs. Cancer 3-Point Challenge.  Fans can support the cause by visiting here and pledging an amount of money that will be donated for each three the Red Flash makes during the month of February (eight games).  Proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society for research and awareness.  SFU is one of several programs around the country participating in the challenge, with the program who raises the most money being crowned the champion of the event.
 
The Red Flash will also show its support for Coaches vs. Cancer during Suits and Sneakers Week, on January 23-29, in its games at Wagner and home against Robert Morris.
 
ACTION BRAXTON
Braxton has enjoyed an impressive freshman campaign, which continued with his fourth NEC Rookie of the Week award this past week.  He has posted double-digit scoring efforts in 13 games this season and has nine games with eight or more rebounds.  Braxton has posted four double-doubles.  His 19 rebounds against Stony Brook are the most rebounds by an NEC freshman since Central Connecticut State's Ron Robinson on February 5, 2001 vs. Mount St. Mary's.  He is second among NCAA freshmen in rebounds per game (8.3), only 0.7 rebounds behind UCLA's TJ Leaf.  Braxton averages over a rebound more per game than any other freshman guard in Division I.  The SFU freshman averages 6.4 defensive rebounds per game, the third-most among any Division I guard.
 
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Twelve of the seventeen players on the Saint Francis roster are freshman or sophomore eligibility.  Of the 16 players who have appeared a game this year, 12 are freshmen or sophomores.  Through 17 games, the group has combined for 1,185 of the team's 1,356 points (87.4 percent) and 3012 of 3600 minutes (83.7 percent).  Against Bryant, a freshman or sophomore scored 65 of the team's 75 points and the group combined for 166 minutes.
 
BOMBS AWAY
Saint Francis hit 13 threes against Sacred Heart, the fourth time this season hitting 10 or more threes.  SFU hit 10 against Duquesne and Marquette and 19 vs. Chatham.  SFU has hit 8 or more threes in 11 games.  The Red Flash is currently 42nd in the nation with a 38.7 three-point percentage and leads the NEC, hitting 8.4 threes per game.  SFU hit 50 percent of its three attempts (7-of-14) at Robert Morris despite the Colonials entering the game as the fourth best three-point defense in the nation.
 
Sophomore guard Jamaal King (Salisbury, Md./Bishop O'Connell (Va.)) leads the team with 39 threes, with senior guard Georgios Angelou (Halkida, Greece/Lykeio Kanithou) and sophomore Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) right behind with 34 and 26, respectively. 
 
BALANCED ATTACK
The Red Flash has put at least four players in double figures in 11 of 18 games this season and at least three in double figures in 14 games.  SFU had five in double figures in the opener at Saint Bonaventure, while also placing six in double figures against Chatham and five against Robert Morris.
 
King (13.5), Braxton (13.2), Blackmon (11.8) and Nebo (11.1) are all averaging double-figures through 18 games.
 
SMART DEFENSE
Saint Francis has been able to limit its fouls so far this season, averaging only 16.3 fouls per contest.  That ranks 23rd in the nation.  SFU opponents attempt only 15.8 free throws per game.
 
ABOUT THE BLUE DEVILS
The Blue Devils are 2-16 overall and 0-7 in NEC play after falling 74-67 at Robert Morris on Thursday.  CCSU is looking to snap a 13-game losing streak.
 
Sophomore guard Austin Nehls led the Blue Devils with 22 points in Thursday's game.  He hit 7-of-15 shots, including four threes, and added three rebounds.  Senior guard Khalen Cumberlander contributed 13 points and five boards.  Senior forward Tidell Pierre had eight points and five rebounds.  CCSU shot 52 percent from the field and 31 percent from three.
 
Nehls leads CCSU with a 13.4 scoring average and tops the NEC with a 40.5 three-point percentage.  Cumberlander averages 12.6 points, while forward Mustafa Jones averages 10.4.  Pierre contributes 9.7 points per contest.
 
NEXT TIME OUT…
Saint Francis continues NEC play next week as it travels to Wagner on Thursday for a 7 p.m. contest, which will be broadcast on Root Sports, MSG Network+ and Fox College Sports.  SFU will then host Robert Morris on Saturday for a 7 p.m. matchup.