Flash Points: 

• Saint Francis locked up a playoff spot with the victory
• SFU put five players in double figures
• Courtney Zezza (Plum, Pa./Plum) had 7 blocks
• The Red Flash tied a school record with 19 made threes

BROOKLYN, N.Y.-  Saint Francis used a balanced offense and a tenacious defense to knock off the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers 75-59 on Monday night, clinching an NEC playoff berth in the process. 

Katie Reese (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes (Manhattan))'s 19 points led five players in double figures for the Red Flash on Monday night. SFU spread the wealth as four players hit at least four three pointers, led by Reese's six en route to tying the school record with 19 made threes in the game. For the second time this season, the Red Flash capitalized on Terrier miscues, forcing 24 turnovers, leading to a 21-2 points off turnover advantage in the contest. 

SFU started slow on Monday as the Terriers scored the first seven points of the game and 11 of the first 13. Saint Francis would trail by as many as 12 in the first quarter (17-5), marking the second time the Red Flash have won when trailing by 10 in NEC play (down 10 to CCSU). Reese and Maya Wynn (Reisterstown, Md./McDonogh) each hit threes as part of an 8-1 run to close the quarter as the Terriers led 18-13 at the end of the first quarter. 

Reese and Jessica Kovatch (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) connected on threes at the start of the second, giving the Red Flash the lead for good. Saint Francis began to pull away in the middle of the second, using an 18-6 run to open up a 39-26 advantage. The Flash rained in threes from Wynn, Halee Adams (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle (Sienna)) and Reese to fuel the run and force a Terrier timeout. SFBK would rally to score the final five points of the quarter but the Red Flash would take a eight-point lead into the locker room after outscoring SFBK 26-13 in the second.

The Terriers would cut the lead to as little as four in the outset of the second half before another Red Flash run put the game out of reach. SFU went on a 9-0 run in under a minute as Kovatch hit one three and Adams hit two more to re-open a 13-point advantage. Again, the Terriers would rally and again the Flash would respond. The teams traded 7-0 runs to end the quarter and SFU led by 13 heading into the fourth. The lead would grow to as many as 19 in the final frame as Saint Francis moved to 10-2 in the Northeast Conference, clinching a playoff spot.

The Saint Francis defense swatted away eight shots on Monday, seven by Courtney Zezza (Plum, Pa./Plum). Reese's 19 was aided by Wynn and Adams with 14, Kovatch with 12 and Ace Harrison (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor (Maryland)) with 10. Harrison led the team with eight rebounds while Adams added seven rebounds and a game high six assists. The Terriers placed three in double figures led by Maria Palarino and Alex Delaney who each had 13. Palarino added a game-high 13 rebounds as SFBK won the rebounding battle 52-38. Despite the rebounding edge, SFBK only had a 16-15 advantage on second-chance points.

The win moves SFU to 13-10 on the season and 10-2 in the NEC. SFBK falls to 6-17 overall and 4-8 in conference. The Red Flash will host Mount Saint Mary's on Saturday in the 10th annual Think Pink game. The team will wear their special Think Pink jerseys which will be auctioned after the game with the proceeds benefiting Strides Again Cancer. Tip time is scheduled for 4 p.m. and follows the men's game between the teams.