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LOS ANGELES – The Saint Francis men's basketball team (1-1) starts a three-game road swing vs. ranked opponents starting on Friday, Nov. 16 at No. 20 UCLA.
 
Scouting UCLA
 
The Bruins are 2-0 and averaging 93.5 ppg through their first two wins over Fort Wayne and Long Beach St.  Sophomore Kris Wilkes, a PAC-12 All-Freshman selection last season, is pacing the Bruins at 22.0 ppg after netting 27 in the opener over Fort Wayne. Freshman 7'1" center Moses Brown appears to be the real deal after a 19-point, 17 rebound debut vs. Fort Wayne. He followed it up with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Long Beach St. and is 14-of-16 from the field through two games. Sophomore guard Jaylen Hands has also been impressive, averaging 16.0 ppg and 5.0 apg over the first week. Keeping UCLA off the glass will pose a big challenge as the Bruins are +12.0 in rebounding on the season.
 
Braxton Hits 1,000K
 
It was just a matter of time before junior Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./Delsea) went over 1,000 career points, which he did in SFU's  80-62 win over Morgan State on Friday. Braxton is the quickest SFU player to 1,000 since Darshan Luckey reached the mark after his sophomore season in 2003-04. Braxton has needed just 67 games to reach 1,000, an average of 15.1 ppg. Luckey reached the mark after just 53 games.
 
Dunkin DK
 
Junior Deivydas Kuzavas (Kretinga, Lithuania/St. Mary's Ryken (Md.)) shot 59.5% from the field last season, the eighth best mark in single season program history. He is off to a blistering pace through two games in 2018-19, converting all seven of his field goal attempts. For his career, Kuzavas has shot 57.4 from the field.
 
Blackmon's Back
 
The return of redshirt junior Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) on Friday was a welcomed sight for Red Flash fans. Blackmon missed all but three games last season due to an ACL tear after leading SFU in scoring during the 2016-17 season. After a slow start to the game, Blackmon was able to shake off the rust in the second half and play a key part down the stretch in SFU's win. He finished the game with eight points and five rebounds in just 18 minutes of action.
 
Hitting the Offensive Glass
 
Saint Francis has been relentless on the offensive glass, averaging 17.0 offensive rebounds per game. SFU's season high in 2017-18 was 15 but the Red Flash has eclipsed that in each of its first two games with 17 at Buffalo and 17 vs. Morgan State.
 
Looking to End the Streak
 
Saint Francis will have three cracks in a row to end a 48-game losing streak against ranked teams in the AP Poll, starting at No. 20 UCLA Friday night. The Red Flash have lost 19 straight by double digits since a 91-85 defeat vs. No. 13 Pittsburgh on Dec. 1, 1990. The Red Flash trailed No. 19 Louisville by six with four minutes remaining before the Cardinals pulled away for an 84-72 win. SFU's last victory over a ranked opponent was on Jan. 25, 1959, a 92-81 win over St. Bonaventure.