Flash Points:

• SFU Men's Basketball begins the final weekend of the regular season on Thursday when it welcomes Sacred Heart to DeGol Arena.
• Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on NEC Front Row.
• The Red Flash is 9-7 in NEC play, tied for fourth in the conference standings, and the Pioneers are 8-8, in sixth place, setting up a key NEC matchup.
• SFU is participating in the Coaches vs. Cancer 3-Point Challenge in February.

SFU Notes | SHU Notes | NEC Front Row | Live Stats | 3-Point Challenge
 
LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis men's basketball team begins the final weekend of the regular season as it welcomes Sacred Heart to DeGol Arena on Thursday for an important NEC matchup.  Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., with a broadcast on NEC Front Row with Pat Farabaugh, play-by-play, and Bernie Jubeck, color analyst, on the call.
 
The Red Flash, led by Head Coach Rob Krimmel, is 12-15 overall and 9-7 in NEC play after a 79-75 setback at Bryant last Saturday.  Freshman Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./The Lawrenceville School) led SFU with 21 points and 11 rebounds, his seventh double-double this season.  The Red Flash is currently tied for fourth in the NEC standings with Wagner.  However, Sacred Heart is right behind in sixth place.
 
Sacred Heart, coached by Anthony Latina, is 13-16 overall and 8-8 in conference play.  The Pioneers split a pair of games last weekend, with a 91-81 win over Fairleigh Dickinson and an 83-82 loss at LIU Brooklyn.  Juniors De'von Barnett and Joseph Lopez each had 18 points in the contest with LIU Brooklyn.
 
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 BRYANT
- Freshman Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./The Lawrenceville School) recorded his seventh double-double this season and is one of five Division I freshmen with seven or more double-doubles this year.  That helped him to win his seventh NEC Rookie of the Week award, just one away from tying the conference's single season record.  Braxton had 21 points and 11 rebounds on Saturday.
- Sophomore Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) scored 15 points to go with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
- Sophomore Josh Nebo (Houston, Texas/Cypress Lakes) had 13 points, on six-of-nine shooting, nine rebounds and three blocks.
- Nebo now has 124 career blocks, just 13 away from the SFU all-time record held by Melvin Scott (1996-01).
- With 65 blocks this year, Nebo is five away from tying the SFU season record set by Scott in 2000-01.
- SFU finished its NEC regular season road schedule with a 6-3 record, the most NEC road wins in program history.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Red Flash leads the all-time series, 15-13, against Sacred Heart.  The Red Flash picked up an 87-67 win at Sacred Heart on December 31, 2016.  Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./The Lawrenceville School) (27 points, 13 rebounds) and Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) (22 points, 10 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles in that game.
 
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. 
 
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 two games left in the regular season, SFU is tied with Fairleigh Dickinson for fourth place and one game behind Wagner for third.  Sacred Heart is right behind in sixth.  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 23 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 (13.3), Blackmon (12.8), King (12.6) and Nebo (12.3) are all averaging double-figures through 27 games.
 
Of the 138 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
Entering the final weekend of conference play, Saint Francis owns the NEC's top offense through 27 games, leading the league in scoring (75.7 ppg), field goal percentage (46.3), three pointers made per game (7.8) and three-point percentage (38.3).  The Red Flash offense features a balanced attack with Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./The Lawrenceville School) (13.3), Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) (12.8), Jamaal King (Salisbury, Md./Bishop O'Connell (Va.)) (12.6) 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 2.41 per game, and Blackmon leads in three-point percentage at 47.8.
 
NEBO NEARING BLOCKS RECORD
Like a lot of opponents this year, Bryant found sophomore forward Josh Nebo (Houston, Texas/Cypress Lakes) at the rim on Thursday, when he had three 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 65 this year. His 124 career blocks rank second all-time at Saint Francis and Nebo is just 13 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 2.41 blocks per game and ranks 19th in the nation in total blocks and 23rd 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 is making a strong case for NEC Rookie of the Year honors, earning his seventh NEC Rookie of the Week award last week.  He has posted double-digit scoring efforts in 19 games this season and has 14 games with eight or more rebounds.  Braxton has posted seven double-doubles, the fifth-most of any Division I freshman this season.  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 second among all NCAA freshmen in rebounds per game (8.6), trailing UCLA's T.J. Leaf by 0.1 rpg.  Braxton averages 1.9 more rebounds per game than any other freshman guard in Division I.  The SFU freshman averages 6.7 defensive rebounds per game, the fourth-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 27 games, the group has combined for 1,792 of the team's 2,045 points (87.6 percent) and 4675 of 5475 minutes (85.4 percent).  Against Bryant, a freshman or sophomore scored 66 of the team's 75 points and the group combined for 169 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 38.3 three-point percentage and 7.8 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 53 threes, with sophomores Jamaal King (Salisbury, Md./Bishop O'Connell (Va.)) and Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) right behind with 47 and 43, respectively.
 
ABOUT THE PIONEERS
Sacred Heart is 13-16 overall and 8-8 in the NEC after splitting last weekend's games.  Sacred Heart earned a 91-81 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday, but fell 83-82 at LIU Brooklyn on Saturday.
 
Junior forwards De'von Barnett and Joseph Lopez each had 18 points for the Pioneers, with Lopez adding 14 rebounds.  Junior guard Chris Robinson contributed 16 points off the bench, hitting four threes, and sophomore guard Quincy McKnight had 11 points and five rebounds.  The Pioneers shot 54 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three.
 
McKnight averages 19 points per game to lead SHU.  He is shooting 43 percent overall and 32 percent from three.  He's also averaging 4.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest.  McKnight is the second-leading scorer in the NEC and leads the conference in free throws made (156) and attempted (202).  Lopez is averaging 12.8 point, 8.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.
 
NEXT TIME OUT…
Saint Francis finishes the regular season on Saturday against Fairleigh Dickinson for a 1 p.m. tipoff on NEC Front Row.  The Red Flash celebrates Senior Day as it honors Georgios Angelou (Halkida, Greece/Lykeio Kanithou) and Patrick Wrencher (West Chester, Ohio/Archbishop Moeller) in their final home game.