Loretto, Pa. - Redshirt senior Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) netted 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists and senior Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./Delsea) registered 20 points, 12 rebounds and six assists as the Saint Francis men's basketball team (20-8, 13-4 NEC) won its eighth consecutive game to secure its first 20-win season since 1990-91 in a 75-62 disposal of Mount St. Mary's (11-19, 7-10 NEC). The win sets the stage for Saturday's showdown at Robert Morris at 1 p.m. The winner will secure the top overall seed in next week's NEC Tournament.

Krimmel's Reaction

"When the season is over, it will nice to be reflect on some of our accomplishments and winning 20 games certainly is a tremendous feat," said head coach Rob Krimmel. "This team is so focused on the present that it wasn't even talked about. We wanted to take care of business tonight instead of looking ahead to Saturday and that's what we were able to do."

How It Happened

The Red Flash got off to a sluggish start and trailed 26-22 at the 6:49 mark of the first half. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Stewart's (Silver Spring, Md./St. Andrew's Episcopal) productive bench minutes started to change the narrative as he scored nine of his 14 points in the first half. Braxton then closed the half with three buckets over the final three minutes as Saint Francis took a 37-32 lead into the half. Blackmon set the tone in the second half, scoring six points before the first media, including a 360-degree breakaway dunk. Every time Mount St. Mary's threatened to close the gap, Blackmon and Braxton had an answer as Saint Francis cruised to the 13-point win to complete the series sweep over the Mountaineers.

Inside the Box Score 

• Saint Francis went 28-59 (47.5%) from the floor to Mount St. Mary's 24-56 (42.9%).
• The Red Flash hit just 3-13 (23.1%) from three-point range, all three which came off the hands of Blackmon. Mount St. Mary's went 7-22 (31.8%) from three.
• SFU was 16-21 (76.2%) from the foul line, while the Mountaineers were 7-10 (70.0%).
• SFU finished with a 36-31 rebounding advantage. 
• Saint Francis forced 15 turnovers and committed just eight.
• Points in the paint favored SFU, 42-30.
• Fast break points were 15-2 in SFU's favor.

Notes

• Blackmon has now scored 20 or more points in 11 of 16 conference games and has eclipsed 20 or more points in five straight.
• Braxton's double-double was his sixth of the season and the 43rd of his career. He is just 21 points shy of becoming the first 2,000 point, 1,000 rebound performer in Northeast Conference history, and the second in Saint Francis history alongside Maurice Stokes.
• The Blackmon, Braxton duo will live in league infamy as they became the highest scoring set of teammates in league history, passing CCSU's Ken Horton and Robby Ptacek with 3,519 combined points.
• Stewart's 14-point effort was his 12th in double figures this season.
• Senior Deivydas Kuzavas (Kretinga, Lithuania/St. Mary's Ryken (Md.)) added eight points off the bench.
• Saint Francis reaches 20 wins for just the third time since 1966-67 and the first since 1990-91.
• The Red Flash also tied the program record for most Northeast Conference wins in a season with 13 and can break it with a win at Robert Morris on Saturday.
• The Red Flash can also share a regular-season title with Merrimack with a win on Saturday, marking its second straight season sharing the title.
• SFU's eight game-win streak is a season-high and matches its high from last season. The school record is 11.
• Saint Francis is 11-2 at home this season and 34-9 in DeGol Arena since the start of the 2017-18 season.

Up Next

Fans can watch Saint Francis and Robert Morris battle for the top overall seed on NEC Front Row on Saturday, Feb. 29, at 1 p.m.