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LORETTO, PA- Saint Francis will look to run its NEC win streak to three and stay perfect at home in the NEC when they welcome in Central Connecticut for a Saturday afternoon 2 p.m. tip. 

This will be the seventh meeting between the teams in the last three season, with the Blue Devils and Red Flash meeting in the Northeast Conference Quarterfinals each of the last two seasons. The Red Flash won the first quarterfinal match-up 83-77 two seasons ago and the Blue Devils answered back with a 65-57 upset last season with both matchups happening inside DeGol Arena. 


ABOUT THE RED FLASH
Saint Francis went 2-0 last weekend with a pair of victories that went right to the wire. On Saturday, the Red Flash survived a wild, banking three that forced overtime against Mount St. Mary's, prevailing 92-88. Jessica Kovatch (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) battled foul trouble all game but scored 10 of her 19 in the extra frame. Caitlyn Kroll (Bridgeport, Ohio/Bridgeport) went for 27 and both Kyasia Duling (Zanesville, Ohio/New Albany (Duquesne)) and Ace Harrison (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor (Maryland)) pumped in double-doubles in what was a balanced offensive effort. On Monday, Kovatch went for a game-high 32 but the Red Flash needed to hold-off a hard-charging Wagner squad who erased an 18-point deficit to tie the game. The Red Flash got clutch buckets down the stretch from Harrison and Kovatch and key rebounds from Leah Morrow (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus Africentric) to hold off the Seahawks 79-76 to move to 6-1 in the NEC. 

Kovatch was named the NEC's Player of the Week for the fourth consecutive week, sharing the honor with Denisha Petty-Evans from LIU Brooklyn. In seven NEC games this season, Kovatch has averaged nearly 31 points per contest, raising her season average to just a tick under 24 at 23.9 points per game, a mark that is third in the NCAA. She's quick to credit her teammates for her scoring, and with good reason. In NEC play, Ace Harrison (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor (Maryland)) ranks 5th in the conference in assists at nearly four per game while Caitlyn Kroll (Bridgeport, Ohio/Bridgeport) is 10th in the NEC at three dimes per contest. Harrison also leads the NEC in steals at 3.3 per game while teammate Leah Morrow (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus Africentric) is third and Kroll fifth as both average around 2.5 steals per league game. 

ABOUT THE BLUE DEVILS
CCSU comes into the game at 2-16 on the season and 2-5 in the Northeast Conference. The Blue Devils were picked to finish 5th in the NEC according to the pre-season coaches' poll. Offensively, the team is led by Kiana Patterson and Andi Lydon, both of whom average in double figures, a trend that has carried into NEC play. Both Patterson and Lydon are threats out past the three-point line with each connecting on nearly 40 percent of their threes in NEC play. However, ball security has been an issue for the Blue Devils this season, averaging 18 turnovers per game, a mark that the Red Flash and their pressure defense will try to exploit, as a result the Blue Devils are averaging 58 points per contest in league play. Defensively, CCSU will bring their traditional stingy defense with them to DeGol Arena. The Blue Devils have locked down the perimeter to the tune of allowing just four made threes per game in NEC play, a mark the Red Flash will surely test. The Red Flash will also have to contend with Ashley Berube, she leads CCSU with nearly six rebounds per game and has averaged two blocks per contest. 

FOLLOW ALONG
Saturday's game will air free of charge on NEC Front Row, the online streaming platform for the Northeast Conference, with Matt Popelka and Bernie Jubeck on the call. There will also be live stats provided for the contest and we encourage you to follow @RedFlashWBB on Twitter for in-game highlights and updates. All links can be found at the top of the story and on the women's basketball schedule page. 

LOOKING AHEAD
The Red Flash stay at home for the middle game of a three-game home stand when they face the Bryant Bulldogs on Monday night. Tip time from DeGol Arena is set for 6 p.m.