Loretto, Pa. - The Saint Francis men's basketball team (6-8, 2-1 NEC) gutted out its first road win of the season to beat the defending NEC Champion LIU Blackbirds (7-8, 1-2 NEC) 74-67 on Thursday night. Junior Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./Delsea) recorded his 30th career double-double and his sixth of the season with 16 points, 13 rebounds and four assists while redshirt junior Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) netted a game-high 17 points.

Krimmel's Reaction

"This was our best team win of the season," said head coach Rob Krimmel. "We received contributions from top-to-bottom and really came together as a team down the stretch to get critical stops on the defensive end when we needed them. I am proud of our group and excited to get back after it on Saturday."

Turning Point

The Red Flash built a 16-point halftime lead then dug in its heels over the last four minutes after LIU Brooklyn cut it to five. Saint Francis held the Blackbirds to 1-for-6 from the field with three turnovers over the last four minutes to secure the victory.

First Half Summary

Saint Francis shot 51.4% from the field and 50.0% from three-point range while holding LIU Brooklyn to just 36.4% on field goals and 25.0% from behind the arc to open the big halftime lead. Braxton finished the half with 13 points and seven rebounds and Blackmon poured in 12 first half points.

Second Half Summary

The Blackbirds scored 12 of the first 16 points of the second half over the first 3:30 to make it a single digit ball game. Holding a 52-44 lead, Saint Francis rattled off a 6-0 run, capped by a pull-up jumper from senior Andre Wolford (North Olmstead, Ohio/Saint Ignatius) to restore a large lead, 58-44, at the under-12 media timeout. LIU Brooklyn climbed back into the game and trailed 69-64 with 3:53 remaining after a layup by Ty Flowers before the SFU defense stiffened. Senior Jamaal King (Salisbury, Md./Bishop O'Connell (Va.)) scored the next three points from the free throw line as SFU held on for the win.

Inside the Box Score

• SFU shot just 30.0% from the floor in the second half and finished the game 28-of-67 (41.8%) from the field. LIU Brooklyn made 26-of-64 shots (40.6%).
• The Red Flash missed its final 10 three-pointers after starting 5-for-7 to finish the game 5-17 (29.4%). LIU Brooklyn finished 5-for-23 (21.7%) from behind the arc.
• SFU went 13-21 (61.9%) from the foul line while the Blackbirds connected on 10-13 (76.9%).
• SFU outrebounded the Blackbirds 44-42 thanks to 13 boards from Braxton and nine from sophomore Mark Flagg (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury).
• Saint Francis forced LIU Brooklyn into 18 turnovers while committing just 12. King recorded a career-high six steals, the most by an SFU player this season.
• SFU's bench outscored the Blackbird 23-7.

Notes

• Saint Francis snapped an eight-game road losing streak dating back to last season.
• All nine players that played recorded at least two points.
• Braxton's final line read 16 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, a block and a steal.
• Blackmon finished with 17 points and seven rebounds.
• King had a nice overall game with 12 points, six steals and four assists.
• Flagg flirted with a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds.
• The trio of Flagg, senior Luidgy Laporal (Petit-Boutg, France/Harcum C.C.) and junior Deivydas Kuzavas (Kretinga, Lithuania/St. Mary's Ryken (Md.)) finished with a combined 18 points and 15 rebounds from the center position.
• LIU Brooklyn's Raiquan Clark, the leading scorer in the NEC, finished with 29 points and seven rebounds.

Up Next

The Red Flash will try to complete a 2-0 trip to the Big Apple on Saturday at St. Francis Brooklyn at 4 p.m.