Saint Francis returns home to host first-place Bryant
Miles McQuiggan
LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis men's basketball team plays its first home games since November 28 when the Red Flash hosts first-place Bryant this week at DeGol Arena.
Saint Francis and Bryant will meet Thursday night on ESPN+ and Friday afternoon on NEC Front Row as the Red Flash looks to get back on track and slow down one of the nation's fastest offenses.
The Series: Bryant (9-2, 5-1) at Saint Francis (1-6, 0-3)
Location: DeGol Arena (Loretto, Pa.)
Game 1: Thursday, Jan. 14 – 7 p.m.
Game 2: Friday, Jan. 15 – 4 p.m.
Watch (Thursday): ESPN+ (Dave Popkin, Dave Calloway)
Watch (Friday): NEC Front Row (Shawn Curtis, Tom Fox)
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Game Notes: Saint Francis
Social Media: Facebook |
Twitter |
Instagram | #NECMBB
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Bryant is off to its best 11-game start in the program's Division I history after a home sweep of Central Connecticut last week. The Bulldogs are averaging 91.4 points per game, which ranks in the top five nationally entering the week, and play the third-fastest tempo in the country.
The Bulldogs feature four players averaging at least 13 points per game, led by reigning NEC Rookie of the Year Michael Green III at 18.0 per game. Grad transfer Peter Kiss has added 17.8 for the Bulldogs, whose two losses (Syracuse and St. Francis Brooklyn) were by a combined three points.
SERIES HISTORY
Thursday's meeting is the 25th between the Red Flash and Bulldogs, who moved up to Division I in 2008-09. Saint Francis holds a 14-10 advantage and is 8-3 over the last four seasons.
Saint Francis ousted Bryant from the NEC Tournament in each of the Bulldogs' last three appearances (2017, 2019, 2020.) The Red Flash defeated the Bulldogs by 20+ points in both meetings in Loretto last season, while Bryant tripped up SFU 67-63 in Smithfield.
LAST TIME OUT: LONG ISLAND 71, SAINT FRANCIS 58
Senior
Ramiir Dixon-Conover matched his career highs with 21 points and seven rebounds, but a pair of key second-half runs for LIU helped the Sharks pull away and take both games of last week's two-game set in Brooklyn.
SECURING THE PERIMETER
Saint Francis enters the week seventh nationally in three-point defense at 25.5%. The Red Flash will get its biggest test so far this season, as the Bulldogs rank ninth nationally in three-point shooting at 40.9%.
LAND OF TWOS AND THREES
Freshman
Maxwell Land ranks among the nation's top freshmen at making his shots this season. Land is sixth among first-year players nationally in effective field goal percentage at 65.8%. eFG% weights the value of three-pointers, which Land has knocked down at a rate of 62.5% in addition to his overall mark of 52.6%.
INTRO TO COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Red Flash freshmen have played 45.6% of the team's minutes this year against a strength of schedule that includes the No. 33 non-conference slate.
The backcourt trio of
Maxwell Land,
Zahree Harrison, and
Ronell Giles, Jr. have contributed the majority of that time with Land starting all seven games and Harrison making three starts.
Land, Harrison, and Giles are joined by
Josh Cohen,
Jeriah Coleman,
Brad McCabe, and
Luke Ruggery as freshmen to appear in a game this season. All seven have scored in at least one game.
BALANCING ACT
A year removed from graduating the program's two leading scorers, seven different Saint Francis players have produced a 10-point effort this season.
Senior
Mark Flagg leads the way with six double-figure scoring efforts this season.
LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
The Northeast Conference has played as the third-fastest league in the country in conference games this season at 73.1 possessions per game. Saint Francis' 84 possessions Thursday at LIU were the most in a regulation NEC game for the Red Flash since KenPom began tracking the stat in 2001-02.
The Bulldogs play the third-fastest adjusted tempo in the nation at 76.7 possessions per game.
NEXT UP: SACRED HEART
The Red Flash will travel to Connecticut for a two-game set at Sacred Heart on Jan. 21-22 in Fairfield. Both games can be seen on NEC Front Row.
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To learn more about Saint Francis University, visit
francis.edu.
