Flash Points:

• SFU men's basketball hosts Wagner on Thursday for a big NEC matchup.
• The Red Flash is 8-4 in NEC play, tied for second in the league, while Wagner is 7-5 and tied for fourth.
• SFU enters the contest on a four-game win streak, while Wagner is riding a three-game win streak.
• The game will be broadcast on MSG Network+, Fox College Sports and NEC Front Row.
• Fans are encouraged to wear red, with the first 150 students receiving a free t-shirt.

SFU Notes | Wagner Notes | MSG Network+/Fox College Sports/NEC Front Row | Live Stats | 3-Point Challenge
 
LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis men's basketball team battles Wagner on Thursday in an important NEC matchup at DeGol Arena.  Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. with a broadcast on Fox College Sports, MSG Network+ and NEC Front Row.  On the TV broadcast will be Paul Dottino (play-by-play), Terry O'Connor (color) and Craig D'Amico (sideline).  On the NEC Front Row broadcast will be Pat Farabaugh (play-by-play) and Bernie Jubeck (color).
 
Fans are encouraged to wear red to the game.  The first 150 students will receive a free t-shirt.  Students who swipe in will be entered for a drawing to win a PS4 and a 50-inch Smart TV.
 
The Red Flash, led by Head Coach Rob Krimmel, is 11-12 overall and 8-4 in NEC play after winning its fourth straight game this past Saturday.  SFU defeated LIU Brooklyn, 80-78, with sophomore Josh Nebo (Houston, Texas/Cypress Lakes) posting a game-high 19 points on his way to earning NEC Player of the Week honors.  SFU is currently tied for second, with FDU, in the NEC standings, but the second through fifth places are only separated by a game.
 
The Seahawks, coached by Bashir Mason, are on a three-game win streak and own records of 11-11 overall and 7-5 in the NEC, tied for fourth in the conference.  Wagner earned a 68-59 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, with junior Corey Henson leading the way with 16 points.
 
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 LIU Brooklyn
- Sophomore Josh Nebo (Houston, Texas/Cypress Lakes) led the Red Flash with 19 points, on 8-of-12 shooting, three rebounds and three blocks.
- Sophomore Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) added 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals.  Senior Georgios Angelou (Halkida, Greece/Lykeio Kanithou) had 10 points.
- Freshman Randall Gaskins Jr. hit all four shot attempts and all three free throws for 12 points, including a big three with 23 seconds left to put SFU up by five.
- SFU trailed by 12 points with 14:59 left in the game, the largest deficit SFU has erased this season.  SFU is on a four-game win streak, despite trailing at halftime in three of the last four games.
- The Red Flash swept the Brooklyn road trip for the first time since 1993-94 and now has five road wins in NEC play.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Red Flash leads the all-time series, 35-33, against Wagner.  SFU earned a 72-67 win at Wagner on January 28.  Sophomore Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) led SFU with 25 points.
 
NEBO EARNS NEC WEEKLY HONOR
Saint Francis sophomore Josh Nebo (Houston, Texas/Cypress Lakes) was named NEC Player of the Week for the first time in his career on Monday.  Nebo averaged 21.5 points, seven rebounds and two blocks per game to lead SFU to two wins.  He posted his fifth double-double this season in the win at St. Francis Brooklyn with a career-high 24 points to go with 11 rebounds.  On Saturday at LIU, Nebo had 19 points, three rebounds and three blocks. 
 
NEC LEADERS
At the midway point of conference play, Saint Francis owns the NEC's top offense through 23 games, leading the league in scoring (76.3 ppg), field goal percentage (45.9), three pointers made per game (8.1) and three-point percentage (38.4).  The Red Flash offense features a balanced attack with Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) (13.3), Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./The Lawrenceville School) (12.8), 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 2.30 per game, and Blackmon leads in three-point percentage at 50.0.
 
NEBO NEARING BLOCKS RECORD
Like a lot of opponents this year, LIU Brooklyn found sophomore forward Josh Nebo (Houston, Texas/Cypress Lakes) at the rim this past weekend, when he had three blocks.  Nebo has become a force when it comes to protecting the rim.  After posting 59 blocks as a freshman, Nebo has 53 this year. He added three against the Blackbirds on Saturday.  His 112 career blocks now rank second all-time at Saint Francis after passing Jerry Mack (109, 1985-89) for second place.  His seven blocks at RMU are tied for the 14th-most in a Division I game this year.  Nebo leads NEC with 2.30 blocks per game and ranks 25th in the nation in total blocks. 
 
KRIMMEL TIED FOR SEVENTH ON WINS LIST
Saint Francis Head Coach Rob Krimmel picked up his 55th career win on Saturday in SFU's 80-78 victory at LIU Brooklyn.  He is now tied with John Clark (1966-69) for seventh place at SFU. He is five 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 earlier this week.  He has posted double-digit scoring efforts in 15 games this season and has 12 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 second all NCAA freshmen in rebounds per game (8.7), trailing UCLA's T.J. Leaf by 0.2 rpg.  Braxton averages 1.5 more rebounds per game than any other freshman guard in Division I.  The SFU freshman averages 6.8 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 23 games, the group has combined for 1,534 of the team's 1,758 points (87.2 percent) and 3949 of 4650 minutes (84.9 percent).  Against LIU, a freshman or sophomore scored 70 of the team's 80 points and the group combined for 182 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 38.4 three-point percentage and 8.1 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 45 threes, with sophomores Jamaal King (Salisbury, Md./Bishop O'Connell (Va.)) and Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) right behind with 42 and 39, respectively.
 
BALANCED ATTACK
The Red Flash has put at least four players in double figures in 15 of 23 games this season and at least three in double figures in 19 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.
 
Blackmon (13.3), Braxton (12.8), King (12.7) and Nebo (12.3) are all averaging double-figures through 23 games.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
Saint Francis has won five NEC road games this year, marking just the fourth time that has happened in program history.  This team joins the 1990-91, 1993-94 and 1997-98 squads.  SFU swept its Brooklyn road trip for the first time since the 1993-94 season. SFU has never won six NEC road games in a season, but will have an opportunity to get its sixth next weekend when it travels to Bryant and Central Connecticut State.
 
ABOUT THE WAGNER
The Seahawks are 11-11 overall and 7-5 in NEC play, tied for fourth in the conference.  While SFU has won four straight, Wagner is also a hot team in the NEC, winning three straight games.  During this streak, Wagner has wins over St. Francis Brooklyn (66-64), Central Connecticut State (70-60) and Fairleigh Dickinson (68-59).
 
In Saturday's win over FDU, junior Corey Henson was Wagner's leading scorer with 16 points.  Senior Michael Carey added 15 points, while junior JoJo Cooper had 13.  Senior forward Mike Aaman contributed 11 points.
 
On the season, Henson is averaging 13.8 points per game.  Carey is averaging 12.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, while Aaman is averaging 10.2 points and six rebounds per contest.  Wagner leads the NEC in scoring defense, allowing just 65.2 points per game.
 
NEXT TIME OUT…
Saint Francis hosts Mount St. Mary's on Saturday for another important NEC matchup.  Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. with a broadcast on NEC Front Row.  The Mountaineers sit in first place in the NEC standings with a 10-2 record in conference play.