Loretto, Pa. - Senior Randall Gaskins Jr. scored a season-high 12 points, but it was his last two that will be remembered, as he hit a runner off the glass at the buzzer to lift the Saint Francis men's basketball team (10-5, 3-1 NEC) over St. Francis Brooklyn (7-8, 1-2 NEC) 81-80 on Saturday night.
Krimmel's Reaction
"I am so happy for Randall," said head coach
Rob Krimmel. "He is such an important piece to our team and has guarded the other team's best player for the last four years. It was great to see how excited his teammates were for him to be rewarded with a moment like this."
How It Happened
Saint Francis shot 58.1% from the field in the first half to lead 47-40 and stretched it to as much as 13 points with 13:27 to play in the second half. From there, the Terriers began to chip away, pulling within 74-69 at the final media timeout. A layup by junior
Mark Flagg (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) put Saint Francis ahead by seven before the Terriers tied the game via a 7-0 run, capped by a three-pointer at the top of the key from Deniz Celen with 2:02. The Terriers took their first lead of the second half, 78-76, on two free throws from Chauncey Hawkins, but Gaskins answered with two clutch free throws at 78-78. Saint Francis forced a stop on the next possession and redshirt senior
Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte), who scored a team-high 19 points, was fouled on his way to the rim with 29 seconds remaining. He missed the first free throw, but made the second to give Saint Francis a one-point advantage. Blackmon was whistled for a foul on the other end moments later and Hawkins sank both free throw to put St. Francis Brooklyn ahead, 80-79. The Red Flash had to travel the length of the court over the final five seconds. Gaskins inbounded the ball to redshirt sophomore
Tyler Stewart (Silver Spring, Md./St. Andrew's Episcopal) and received it in return on a handoff before racing down the court and floating a runner high off the window as time expired.
Inside the Box Score
- The Red Flash converted 30-of-58 shots (51.7%) to the Terriers 29-of-61 (47.5%).
- Saint Francis hit 5-of-9 (55.6%) from three, while St. Francis Brooklyn connected on 8-of-19 (42.1%).
- SFU went 14-of-16 from the foul line to St. Francis Brooklyn's 16-of-21 (76.2%).
- The Red Flash were outrebounded 35-28 and held to a season-low four offensive rebounds.
- Points in the paint favored the Red Flash 42-32.
- Fast break points were 21-9 in SFU's favor.
Notes
- Blackmon finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals and was aided by 13 points and eight rebounds from senior Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./Delsea).
- Gaskins Jr. scored his 12 points on just four shot attempts, going 4-4 from the field, 1-1 from three-point range, and 3-4 from the free-throw line.
- Junior Ramiir Dixon-Conover (Newark, N.J./South Kent) gave a huge lift off the bench with a career-high 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
- SFU's 10-5 start is its best since the Red Flash started 11-4 in 1997-98, a team that featured Krimmel and assistant coach Eric Taylor.
- The Red Flash improve to 5-1 on its home court this season.
- Gaskins Jr. is averaging 7.0 ppg over his last six contests after averaging 3.2 over his first nine.
- The last one-point win at home was a 79-78 win over Sacred Heart on Jan. 26 last season. Scott Meredith (Pilot Mountain, N.C./Hargrave Military Academy (Va.)) hit the last home buzzer-beater in a win over Sacred Heart during the 2017-18 season.
Up Next
Saint Francis travels to Fairleigh Dickinson to take on the Knights on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 5 p.m. on ESPNU.
