Flash Points:

• SFU Men's Basketball meets Bryant on Saturday at the Chace Athletic Center.
• Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. on NEC Front Row.
• The Red Flash is 12-14 overall and 9-6 in NEC play after an 80-71 win at CCSU on Thursday.
• Bryant is 10-18 overall and 7-8 in conference play.
• SFU is tied for third in the NEC standings, with Bryant currently placing seventh.

SFU Notes | NEC Front Row | Live Stats | 3-Point Challenge
 
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Saint Francis men's basketball team takes on Bryant on Saturday at the Chace Athletic Center.  Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. with a broadcast on NEC Front Row.
 
The Red Flash, led by Head Coach Rob Krimmel, is 12-14 overall and 9-6 in NEC play after an 80-71 win at Central Connecticut State on Thursday.  SFU picked up its program-record sixth NEC road win this year as Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./The Lawrenceville School) led the way with 19 points.  SFU placed five players in double-figures in the win.  The Red Flash is currently tied for third in the NEC standings with Fairleigh Dickinson and Wagner.
 
Bryant, coached by Tim O'Shea, is 10-18 overall and 7-8 in conference play.  Bryant earned an 81-73 win over Robert Morris on Thursday.  Adam Grant and Nisre Zouzoua each scored 19 points for the Bulldogs, who sit in seventh place in the NEC standings.
 
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 from February 1-March 5 (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.
 
NOTES FROM CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE
- Freshman Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./The Lawrenceville School) led five Red Flash players in double-figures with 19 points, on six-of-seven shooting and six-of-six from the free throw line. Braxton added eight rebounds, five assists and two steals.
- Sophomore Jamaal King (Salisbury, Md./Bishop O'Connell (Va.)) contributed 14 points, on five-of-seven from the floor, three rebounds and five assists.
- Fellow sophomore Josh Nebo (Houston, Texas/Cypress Lakes) had 13 points, four rebounds and two blocks, while Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) had 10 points and two steals.
- Senior Georgios Angelou (Halkida, Greece/Lykeio Kanithou) scored all 11 of his points in the second half, including three triples.
- Out of SFU's nine NEC wins, four have come after trailing at halftime of that game. SFU was down 37-31 at CCSU at the half.
- SFU set a program-record with its sixth NEC road win this year.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Red Flash is tied 7-7 in the all-time series against Bryant.  The Red Flash has won four straight games in the series, including a 75-61 win over Bryant on January 19.  Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./The Lawrenceville School) and Jamaal King (Salisbury, Md./Bishop O'Connell (Va.)) each had 21 points and eight rebounds in that win.
 
SFU SETS PROGRAM NEC ROAD WINS RECORD
Saint Francis won its sixth NEC road game of the season on Thursday at CCSU.  The 2016-17 team is the first ever in program-history to win six NEC road game in a season since joining the conference in 1981-82.  This year's team passed the five NEC road win campaigns of the 1990-91, 1993-94 and 1997-98 squads.  SFU has an opportunity for a seven NEC road win on Saturday at Bryant.
 
NEC PLAYOFF RACE
Despite two losses last weekend, the Red Flash has clinched a spot in the NEC Tournament, which begins on Wednesday, March 1.  With three games left in the regular season, SFU is tied with Fairleigh Dickinson and Wagner for third place.  If SFU can finish in the top four of the conference, it will host its first NEC Tournament Game at DeGol Arena since 1991, when it won the conference championship.
 
BALANCED ATTACK
The Red Flash has put at least four players in double figures in 17 of 26 games this season and at least three in double figures in 22 games.  SFU placed five players in double-figures at CCSU, marking the second time this season it has accomplished that.  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.
 
Braxton (13.0), Blackmon (12.7), King (12.7) and Nebo (12.3) are all averaging double-figures through 26 games.
 
Of the 143 Division I teams averaging at least 75 points per game, Saint Francis is one of 16 teams with four players averaging at least 12 points per game.
 
NEC LEADERS
Nearing the finish of conference play, Saint Francis owns the NEC's top offense through 26 games, leading the league in scoring (75.8 ppg), field goal percentage (46.5), three pointers made per game (7.9) and three-point percentage (38.6).  The Red Flash offense features a balanced attack with Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./The Lawrenceville School) (13.0), Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) (12.7), Jamaal King (Salisbury, Md./Bishop O'Connell (Va.)) (12.7) and Josh Nebo (Houston, Texas/Cypress Lakes) (12.3) 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 2.38 per game, and Blackmon leads in three-point percentage at 48.8.
 
NEBO NEARING BLOCKS RECORD
Like a lot of opponents this year, CCSU found sophomore forward Josh Nebo (Houston, Texas/Cypress Lakes) at the rim on Thursday, when he had two blocks.  Nebo has become a force when it comes to protecting the rim.  He also had five blocks against Wagner last Thursday.  After posting 59 blocks as a freshman, Nebo has 62 this year. His 121 career blocks rank second all-time at Saint Francis and Nebo is just 16 blocks away from tying the program record held by Melvin Scott (137, 1996-01).  Nebo has four games with five or more blocks this year.  His seven blocks at RMU are tied for the 14th-most in a Division I game this year.  Nebo leads NEC with 2.38 blocks per game and ranks 21st in the nation in total blocks and 24th in blocks per game.
 
KRIMMEL MOVES INTO SEVENTH ON WINS LIST
Saint Francis Head Coach Rob Krimmel picked up his 56th career win on Thursday in SFU's 80-71 victory at CCSU.  He has now passed John Clark (1966-69) for seventh place at SFU. He is four wins away from tying Dave Magarity (1978-83) for sixth.
 
ACTION BRAXTON
Braxton has enjoyed an impressive freshman campaign, which continued with his sixth NEC Rookie of the Week award last week.  He has posted double-digit scoring efforts in 18 games this season and has 13 games with eight or more rebounds.  Braxton has posted six 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 ranks third all NCAA freshmen in rebounds per game (8.5), trailing UCLA's T.J. Leaf by 0.3 rpg.  Braxton averages 1.7 more rebounds per game than any other freshman guard in Division I.  The SFU freshman averages 6.6 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 26 games, the group has combined for 1,726 of the team's 1,976 points (87.3 percent) and 4506 of 5275 minutes (85.4 percent).  Against CCSU, a freshman or sophomore scored 67 of the team's 80 points and the group combined for 174 minutes.
 
BOMBS AWAY
Saint Francis hit 10 threes against Wagner on January 28, the fifth time this season hitting 10 or more threes.  SFU hit 10 against Duquesne, Marquette and Sacred Heart and 19 vs. Chatham.  SFU has hit 8 or more threes in 12 games.  The Red Flash is currently leading the NEC with a 38.6 three-point percentage and 7.9 threes per game.  SFU hit 50 percent of its three attempts in both of its meetings vs. Robert Morris despite the Colonials entering the games ranked among the top four three-point defenses in the nation.
 
Senior Georgios Angelou (Halkida, Greece/Lykeio Kanithou) leads the team with 51 threes, with sophomores Jamaal King (Salisbury, Md./Bishop O'Connell (Va.)) and Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) right behind with 46 and 42, respectively.
 
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
Bryant is 10-18 overall and 7-8 in NEC play after an 81-73 win over Robert Morris on Thursday.
 
In the win over the Colonials, freshman Adam Grant and sophomore Nisre Zouzoua tied for the team lead with 19 points.  Grant made 6-of-13 shots, with seven rebounds and three assists.  Zouzoua hit 5-of-14 looks, including three triples, four rebounds and eight assists.  Junior Bosko Kostur and sophomore Marcel Pettway added 16 points each.
 
On the season, Zouzoua leads the Bulldogs and the NEC in scoring, averaging 20.0 points per game.  He his shooting 41 percent from the field and 36 percent from three.  Zouzoua leads the conference in threes made per game, with 2.74.  Grant is averaging 13.8 points and four rebounds per game, while Pettway is contributing 10.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
 
NEXT TIME OUT…
Saint Francis finishes the regular season next weekend with home games against Sacred Heart, on Thursday, and Fairleigh Dickinson, on Saturday.  Both games will be broadcast on NEC Front Row.