Flash Points:

• The Red Flash earn the #3 seed in the NEC tournament
• Jessica Kovatch (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) scored 35 points and had six steals
• Kovatch hit six threes, setting the single-season three-point record with 105 and counting
• Katie Reese (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes (Manhattan)) had 24 points
• Courtney Zezza (Plum, Pa./Plum) had 11 rebounds and 7 blocks

LORETTO, PA- The Saint Francis Red Flash snapped a six-game losing streak to Sacred Heart in a 83-69 victory in the regular-season finale against both teams. 

Jessica Kovatch (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) scored a game-high 35 points and hit six threes to lead the Red Flash. Her six three-pointer outburst gives her 105 on the season, breaking the single-season record of 100 previously set by Alexa Heyward in the 2013-14 season. Kovatch also added six steals as the Flash had 13 thefts on the night, leading to 17 points. Katie Reese (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes (Manhattan)) continued her hot hand, going for 24 points 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Courtney Zezza (Plum, Pa./Plum) added five points, a team-high 12 rebounds and 7 blocks, giving her 99 on the season. As a team, the Red Flash topped 50 percent shooting for the first time this season, hitting on 31-60 attempts (52 percent) including 9-19 from three (47 percent). 

The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair with neither team leading by more than four points. Neither team could score much early, with the teams each managing one field goal in the first three minutes. The Pioneers got going first as Shelby Hickey and Kelcey Castro each hit threes to put SHU up 10-6 at the first media timeout. The Flash would get rolling after a Jessica Kovatch (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) three that the sophomore followed up with a traditional three-point play to give SFU a 15-12 advantage. The Flash would grow their lead to four on a late Katie Reese (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes (Manhattan)) three to give SFU a 20-16 lead after one. 

The first-quarter lead would be one the Red Flash would not give up the rest of the way. The lead would grow to as many as nine in the second quarter after Kovatch and Zezza combined for a trio of threes to cap a 9-2 run and give SFU a 31-22 lead. The Pioneers would battle back, going on a 10-2 run to whittle the lead down to one on a three by Tykera Carter cut the lead to four and a Adaysha Williams banked-in triple on the next possession. The Red Flash defense locked up the Pioneers the rest of the half, recording a trio of steals mixed with a Zezza block. SFU closed the half on a 6-0 run, capped by a Reese break-away lay-up to give SFU a 39-32 lead heading into the locker room. 

SFU came out firing in the second half, growing the lead to 12 on a beautiful Reese bounce pass through traffic to Ace Harrison (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor (Maryland)). Again, Sacred Heart would rally, getting the lead down to five on a pair of occasions in the quarter. Again, the Red Flash continually had an answer. The Flash answered with a 7-0 run where Reese had five of the seven to stretch the lead back out to 12 at 58-46. The exchange of runs continued as SHU then closed the quarter on a 8-2 spurt, capped by another Williams three to make it 60-54 Red Flash heading into the fourth. 

Saint Francis got a pivotal stop on the opening possession of the fourth quarter and another Reese driving lay-up extended the lead out to eight. Another defensive stop, one of Kovatch's six steals, followed and the sophomore turned it into a three-point play and the Red Flash never looked back. Sacred Heart would get no closer than nine in the fourth quarter after that play. Kovatch scored 9 of her 35 in the quarter including a pair of big threes that answered Sacred Heart triples on the previous possession. The Red Flash never let the Pioneers get a run going in the fourth quarter and SFU would close it out at the charity stripe, hitting 5-of-6 from the line to close out the game. 

Sacred Heart was led by Adaysha Williams 20 point and 8 assist effort and Shelby Hickey who had 19 points and 8 rebounds, with 14 points coming in the second half. Katherine Haines had a double double with 13 points and 14 rebounds as SHU out rebounded the Red Flash 42-29. Despite the rebounding advantage, SHU held only a 10-5 edge in second-chance points. The Red Flash held a 38-28 edge in the paint and a slim 17-15 edge off turnovers. 

The win moves SFU to 16-13 and 13-5 in the NEC while Sacred Heart falls to an identical record. Because Bryant defeated CCSU on Monday, Sacred Heart wins the tie-breaker and will be the second-seed in the NEC tournament. The third-seeded Red Flash will take on sixth-seeded Central Connecticut on Sunday at DeGol Arena. Game time is yet to be announced.