Brooklyn, N.Y. - The Saint Francis men's basketball team (6-9, 2-2 NEC) overcame a 14-point second half deficit to take a one-point lead with 1:48 to play but was outscored 6-1 the rest of the way in a 72-68 defeat at St. Francis Brooklyn (10-7, 2-2 NEC). Senior Jamaal King (Salisbury, Md./Bishop O'Connell (Va.)) netted a team-high 17 points while junior Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./Delsea) recorded yet another double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. 

Krimmel's Reaction

"We talk about the process of going 1-0 everyday but we have struggled to find consistency at times," said head coach Rob Krimmel. "Our first half really let us down today with turnovers and allowing them to hurt us with offensive rebounds. I thought we did a much better job with those things in the second half but we dug ourselves a big hole and St. Francis Brooklyn made some big shots in the final minute."

Turning Point

A game that was a tale of two halves ultimately came down to the final two minutes. Braxton gave Saint Francis its first lead of the half, and its first lead since 10:49 of the first half with two free throws with 1:48 to play. The teams traded stops on the next two possessions before the Terriers regained the lead on a long, contested stepback two by Jalen Jordan with 41 seconds left. Sophomore forward Mark Flagg (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) was fouled under the hoop with 27 seconds left, tying the game at 68-68 by hitting one of two from the stripe. The Terriers held the ball for the final shot and took the lead with 3.7 seconds on a left-handed drive and finish from Glenn Sanabria. King received the inbound but let heave a halfcourt shot that fell short and out of bounds with tenths of seconds remaining.

First Half Summary

Saint Francis committed 11 first half turnovers allowing the Terriers to turn them into 14 points. St. Francis Brooklyn also pulled down 10 offensive rebounds in the half, converting them into 10 second chance points. Junior Randall Gaskins Jr., who ws re-inserted into the starting lineup prior to the game, kept the Red Flash in the game with eight first half points as SFU trailed 41-32 at the break.

Second Half Summary

Saint Francis trailed by as many as 14, 50-36, after a Sanabria layup with 17:03. The Red Flash responded with a 12-0 run. The highlight was a jaw-dropping baseline slam dunk from senior Andre Wolford (North Olmstead, Ohio/Saint Ignatius) plus a foul. Saint Francis wouls stay within five the rest of the way, even regaining the lead in the final two minutes before seeing it slip away.

Inside the Box Score

• Saint Francis went 22-of-55 (40.0%) from the field while the Terriers finished 27-of-63 (42.9%).
• The Red Flash made 4-of-15 triples (26.7%) to SFBK's 7-of-23 (30.4%).
• Saint Francis U held a big advantage from the free-throw line, finishing 20-of-26 (76.9%). The Terriers made 11-of-15 (73.3%) from the stripe.
• SFU was outrebounded for just the fourth time this season. The final count tilted towards SFBK 41-35 thanks in large part to 17 offensive rebounds by the Terriers.
• The Red Flash rebounded from an 11 turnover first half with just two over the final 20 minutes, winning the turnover battle 15-13 for the game.
• The score was tied nine times and changed hands 14 times.

Notes

• NEC Braxton's double-double was his second of the week and his NEC-leading seventh of the season.
• Gaskins Jr. joined King and Braxton in double figures with 10 points, just his second game of the season in double figures.
• Wolford added eight points and senior Luidgy Laporal (Petit-Boutg, France/Harcum C.C.) scored six in 13 minutes.
• Saint Francis is just 1-5 this season in games following a win.
• After starting 5-for-7 from three-point range on Thursday, the Red Flash have made just four of their last 25 three-point attempts.
• Saint Francis falls to 2-2 in league play.

Up Next

The Red Flash don't hit the hardwood again until next Saturday, Jan. 19, at Central Connecticut State. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.