LYNCHBURG, Va. – Senior Mark Flagg scored 13 points to lead three Red Flash players in double figures, but Liberty heated up after a slow start from three to down the Saint Francis men's basketball team, 78-62, Thursday night.
 
Redshirt junior Tyler Stewart matched his season high with 12 points off the bench and junior Myles Thompson chipped in 12 points for the Red Flash, who led for eight minutes of the first half. Freshmen Zahree Harrison and Maxwell Land each grabbed a team and career-high six rebounds.

Saint Francis, which entered the day as one of the nation's top teams in three-point defense, held Liberty to a 1-for-13 start from beyond the arc before the Flames made 10 of their final 17 attempts.
 
Liberty 78, Saint Francis 62
Records: Saint Francis (1-3), Liberty (3-2)
Location: Liberty Arena (Lynchburg, Va.)
 
COACH KRIMMEL'S COMMENTS
"I was proud of the way we came out in the first half. We had good energy, good focus, and I thought our execution was pretty good. There was certainly that stretch in the last 20 or so seconds when they got an offensive rebound, they were able to hit a three, and then we didn't execute our play and it gave them a chance to hit that half-court shot.
 
"It's one of the things with our group and playing young guys in so many meaningful minutes … I thought our body language leaving the court and then coming out in the second half was not very good. That's one of the things we can control … Unfortunately you need to learn those lessons the tough way to address them, and I know these guys will take that coaching and be better the next time."
 
KEY MOMENT

• The Flames took a four-point lead with under three minutes remaining in the opening half. The Red Flash would pull back within two before a pair of Liberty threes, including a half-court buzzer-beater, gave the hosts a 39-32 halftime lead. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• A 7-0 Liberty run gave the Flames a 14-10 advantage with 13:35 to play in the opening half.
• A pair of threes from Stewart knotted the contest at 18 with 11:14 remaining before halftime.
• The teams traded the lead back and forth before the Flames pushed their advantage to four on a pair of occasions, the latter on a layup to go ahead 33-29 with 2:37 on the clock in the first half.
• A 50-foot buzzer-beater put Liberty in front 39-32 at the half.
• Liberty pushed its lead to 10 at 44-34 before a quick pass from Harrison ahead to Flagg for two points knocked the Flames advantage back down to single digits with 17:38 remaining.
• The Flames responded to grow their lead to 12 twice before a pair of three-pointers from redshirt freshman Luke Ruggery helped the Red Flash get back within 53-45 with 13:26 to play.
• Liberty would stretch the lead back to double digits following the second Ruggery three, and after a Flagg free throw, held at least a 10-point cushion the rest of the way.

STATS

• Flagg was 4-of-8 from the field and 5-of-8 from the free-throw line while limited to 21 minutes due to foul trouble.
• Stewart was 4-for-5 with a pair of threes and added three rebounds.
• Thompson added two steals to his 12-point performance.
• Harrison recorded career-highs in steals (4) and minutes played (33) in addition to his career-best rebounding effort. The freshman tallied four assists in his second career start.
• SFU limited its turnover total to single digits for the second game this week, committing nine.
• The Red Flash shot 37.5% from the field, while the Flames were at 52.7%.
• Liberty out-rebounded Saint Francis, 36-29.
• The Flames made one of their first 13 three-pointers in the contest before making 10 of their final 17.

GAME NOTES

• Saint Francis drops to 4-2 all-time against Liberty. The teams last met in a home-and-home during the 2006-07 season.
• Thursday's game was the first held at Liberty Arena, which replaced the Vines Center as the Flames' home venue this season.
• Liberty's 11 three-pointers were tied for the most allowed by the Red Flash over the last 19 games.
• Land's rebounding total has improved by one in every game, from three in the win over Pitt, to six Thursday.

UP NEXT 
The Red Flash opens NEC play Tuesday at Mount St. Mary's. The 7 p.m. game in Emmitsburg can be seen on NEC Front Row.
 
Follow Saint Francis Men's Basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get up-to-date information and a behind-the-scenes look at the Red Flash.
 
To learn more about Saint Francis University, visit francis.edu.