SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Saint Francis women's basketball team (8-4, 6-0 NEC) completed the sweep at Bryant (4-4, 2-2 NEC) on Friday with a 70-66 victory. The Red Flash extended its win streak to eight games and improved to 6-0 in conference play.
 
Saint Francis 70, Bryant 66
Records: Saint Francis (8-4, 6-0 NEC), Bryant (4-4, 2-2 NEC)
Location: Chance Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)
 
KEY MOMENTS
The Red Flash scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter, taking a lead that would not be relinquished. SFU led by as many as six points during the fourth quarter. Bryant cut the Saint Francis lead to two points three times during the last three minutes of play but the Red Flash defense did not allow the Bulldogs to tie the game.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Red Flash got off to a fast start as Karson Swogger made a three-pointer on SFU's first possession of the game. Saint Francis made three from long-range in the first 4:02 of play as the Red Flash jumped out to an 11-3 lead with 5:58 remaining in the opening quarter.

Bryant responded with a 10-2 run to tie the game at 13 with two minutes to play in the first quarter as the Bulldogs started 3-of-3 from three-point range. The Red Flash scored the final four of the quarter to lead 17-13 after 10 minutes of play.

The Bulldogs took its first lead of the series with 7:36 to play in the first half, 22-21, having the 9-4 advantage in the second quarter at that point. Swogger tied the game at 26 with her third triple and five minutes to play in the first half, becoming the first player in the game to reach double figures.

The final five minutes of the second quarter featured two ties and three lead changes but it was the Red Flash that held a one-point lead, 35-34, going into the locker room.

Saint Francis had a slow start to the third quarter, going 1-of-11 from the floor before the media timeout despite six offensive rebounds. The Red Flash trailed 41-37 with 4:05 to play in the third quarter as the Bulldogs held a 7-2 advantage in the quarter at that time.

SFU forced Bryant to commit nine fouls in the third quarter and capitalized with nine made free throws. The Red Flash trailed 50-54 going into the final quarter of play after a buzzer beater by the Bulldogs.

Saint Francis scored the first five points of the fourth quarter as Lili Benzel gave the Red Flash its first lead since the beginning of the second half with her second triple of the game with 8:34 to play. Bryant called a timeout with just under eight minutes to play as SFU had a 55-54 lead.

Saint Francis would go up 57-54 before Bryant got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter with 6:25 to play. The Bulldogs entered the bonus with 5:41 to play. The Red Flash led 62-58 midway through the final quarter.

Bryant cut the Saint Francis lead down to two points three separate times in the final three minutes but each time the Red Flash responded. Two free throws by Swogger sealed the 70-66 victory.

STATS
Both teams shot at least 50 percent from the floor during the first half, with SFU having the advantage at 55.6 percent. The Red Flash also shot 50 percent from three-point range but the Bulldogs were 4-of-5 in the first 20 minutes (80 percent). Saint Francis held the 15-11 edge in rebounds in the first half and had 10 assists, just two shy of SFU's game average this season.

The Bulldogs shot 66.7 percent in the third quarter, compared to the Red Flash's 20 percent. Saint Francis flipped the script and forced Bryant to begin the fourth quarter 2-of-10 from the floor.

The Red Flash finished the game with the 35-29 advantage on the boards and was 19-of-23 from the free throw line.

GAME NOTES

• Saint Francis is on an eight-game win streak, the longest since the 2009-10 season.
• Benzel has made a three-pointer in the last 21 consecutive games.
• Saint Francis made three triples in the first 4:02 of the game, matching the three-pointer total from Thursday's game.
• The Red Flash outrebounded its opponent for the eighth-straight game.
• Swogger recorded her second-straight 20-point game, ending the game with 20 points.
• This is Swogger's 10^th time scoring in double figures this season and seventh-straight game.
• Kaitlyn Maxwell tied her career-high three assists in the first half.
• Haley Thomas led SFU in rebounding with nine rebounds, tying her season-high.
• Benzel reached double figures for the ninth time this season.

UP NEXT
Saint Francis hosts Mount St. Mary's on Tuesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. inside DeGol Arena.
 

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To learn more about Saint Francis University, visit francis.edu.