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Loretto, Pa. - The Saint Francis men's basketball team (11-5, 4-1 NEC), winners of nine of its last 10 games, returns to Loretto for two pivotal home games against teams fighting with them at the top of the standings in Sacred Heart (10-7, 3-1 NEC) and Merrimack (10-8, 4-1). The Red Flash play Sacred Heart on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m., and Merrimack on Monday, Jan. 20, at 4 p.m.
 
Scouting Sacred Heart

Sacred Heart, picked second in the league's preseason poll, has lived up to its billing as one of the top offensive teams in the Northeast Conference. Saint Francis ranks second in the NEC in scoring offense at 79.0 ppg, while Sacred Heart is third at 76.4. Saint Francis boasts the top scoring margin in the league at +6.2, while the Pioneers are second at +4.1. The meeting will also feature the top two rebounding teams in the league. Sacred Heart leads the NEC at +6.0 on the glass, while the Red Flash are second at +2.8.If there has been an area of concern for Sacred Heart, it has been its ability to take care of the basketball. The Pioneers currently own a -2.71 turnover margin, the worst in the league. Junior E.J. Anosike leads Sacred Heart and is sixth in the league in scoring at 15.8 ppg. He's also the league-leader in rebounding at 11.2 per contest. Sophomore Koreem Ozier is also in the top 10 in the league in scoring at 15.4 ppg. Most of the offense runs through sophomore point guard Cameron Parker who leads the league by a large margin at 8.2 assists per game. Redshirt senior Ja'rel Spellman is a force at the rim with 44 blocks over 16 games.
 
Series History
 
Saint Francis is 9-4 against the Pioneers under head coach Rob Krimmel and leads the overall series 18-15. The teams split 1-1 last season, each protecting their home courts.
 
Scouting Merrimack
 
Merrimack has surprised many in its first full season as a Division I program, taking the NEC by storm with a 4-1 record thanks to its tenacious 2-3 zone. The Warriors lead the league in scoring defense at 61.8 ppg, and have held teams to just 33.0% from three-point range. Senior guard Juvaris Hayes is the driving force to the Warriors success, leading them in scoring at 9.9 ppg and ranking second in the league in assists at 5.8 per contest. His biggest contribution comes on the defensive end where he leads the nation in steals at 3.72 per game. Merrimack owns the top turnover margin at +5.94.
 
Series History
 
This will be the first meeting between the two programs in Merrimack's first season in the conference.
 
The Rain Maker
 
Redshirt senior Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) is playing the best basketball of his career as we approach his final stretch in a Saint Francis uniform. Blackmon scored 23 of his game-high 25 points in the second half of SFU's 100-85 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday night to move into 19^th place on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,303 points. Blackmon currently leads the league in scoring in conference play, averaging 21.2 ppg in SFU's five conference matchups. He has scored 20 or more points in three of five conference games and has led SFU in scoring in four of five, shooting 48.6% (17-35) from three-point range over the stretch.
 
Saint Francis hits 100
 
A balanced scoring effort which saw four players score 17 or more points, lifted Saint Francis to a 100-85 win on Wednesday. The Red Flash tied its highest scoring output vs. a Division I opponent under head coach Rob Krimmel, also scoring 100 in a quarterfinal win over Bryant during the 206-17 season and in a 100-89 win over American during the 2017-18 season. The Red Flash shot 56.9% from the field in the win.