Loretto, Pa. - The Delaware men's basketball team (6-0) improved on its unblemished record on Tuesday night with a 79-64 win in Loretto behind 28 points from Nate Darling. Junior
Mark Flagg (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) registered 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench as the Red Flash fell to 2-3 on the season.
"We are all disappointed with tonight's effort," said head coach
Rob Krimmel. "That was an embarrassing effort in front of our home fans. Delaware is a really good team as their record shows. We didn't play with close to enough energy or focus to knock off a team of their caliber."
Turning Point
Saint Francis was doomed by slow starts to both halves. Delaware opened the game on an 11-2 run before SFU clawed its way back into the game. Redshirt sophomore
Tyler Stewart (Silver Spring, Md./St. Andrew's Episcopal) keyed the comeback with 12 first half points and Flagg added nine points and five rebounds over the first 20 minutes. SFU led 35-29 with 2:09 in the half before the Blue Hens closed on a 9-2 run to lead 38-37 at the half.
As was the case in the first half, SFU was slow to start the second period. Delaware outscored the Red Flash 18-6 over the first seven-plus minutes and led by as many as 17 with 10:07 to play.
Saint Francis made it a 62-52 game after two free throws from senior
Deivydas Kuzavas (Kretinga, Lithuania/St. Mary's Ryken (Md.)) with 7:53 left but that was as close as it would get the rest of the way.
Inside the Box Score
- Saint Francis made just 23-of-59 (39.0%) shots from the floor while Delaware hit 31-of-56 (55.4%).
- The Red Flash connected on 4-of-22 threes (18.2%), a season-low. Delaware went 8-for-19 (62.1%).
- Saint Francis made 14-of-17 free throws (82.4%) to the Blue Hens 9-of-13 (69.2%).
- Delaware scored 16 points off SFU's turnovers to just three for Saint Francis.
- Rebounds favored Delaware 34-32.
- Delaware led for 35:36 of the 40 minutes.
Notes
- Stewart, Flagg and senior Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./Delsea) all finished with 13 points.
- Saint Francis has been held under 10 assists in three of five games. The Red Flash were held under 10 assists in just nine of 33 games last season.
- The loss was just the third double-digit home defeat since the start of the 2017-18 season.
- Senior Scott Meredith (Pilot Mountain, N.C./Hargrave Military Academy (Va.)) made 2-of-4 three-pointers for eight points and is shooting 52.6% from three-point range for the season on 10 makes in 19 tries.
- SFU's bench outscored Delaware's 27-3.
Up Next
- Saint Francis travels to Tallahassee, Florida to play Florida State on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 2 p.m.
