LORETTO, Pa. – A double-digit rebounding advantage and high-energy performances off the bench helped the Saint Francis men's basketball team after a slow start in a 62-59 victory Saturday night at DeGol Arena.
 
Senior Ramiir Dixon-Conover led the Red Flash with 14 points, while redshirt sophomore Bryce Laskey added 11. Junior Marlon Hargis chipped in with 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while redshirt freshman Josh Cohen added seven boards in 14 minutes. The Red Flash led for over 30 minutes of the contest and all but 26 seconds of the second half.
 
Saint Francis 62, Central Connecticut 59
Records: Saint Francis (5-9, 4-6 NEC), Central Connecticut (3-10, 3-7 NEC)
Location: DeGol Arena (Loretto, Pa.)
 

🎥 @SFUcoachkrim, @bdot_laskey, and @Josh_Cohen35 recap Saturday night's win over Central Connecticut.

🔴⚡️ BELIEVE | #NECMBB pic.twitter.com/Gh9wPT88Pe
— Saint Francis Men's Basketball (@RedFlashMBB) January 31, 2021
 

COACH KRIMMEL'S COMMENTS
"We were very sloppy to start. Defensively, I thought we were good. But we turned the ball over 11 times in the first half. I thought we were trying to hit home runs instead of singles. We made enough plays down the stretch to win this one – it certainly wasn't the prettiest effort – but I thought we got some production and some lifts from some guys. Josh in the first half gave us a tremendous boost with his ability to impact the game around the basket. Bryce hit some big shots. Ugly start, but sometimes it's better to win ugly."
 
KEY MOMENTS

• The Red Flash jumped out to a 7-0 lead before the Blue Devils scored the next eight.
• A Dixon-Conover three on the final possession of the first half gave Saint Francis a 27-24 halftime lead.
• Dixon-Conover scored five straight points to give Saint Francis a 37-33 lead with 16 minutes remaining – an advantage that would hold up for the remainder of the contest.

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Saint Francis opened the game on a 7-0 run with a three from Laskey and baskets from senior Mark Flagg and junior Myles Thompson.
• The Blue Devils would score the next eight before a Cohen putback moved SFU back in front.
• Three free throws from freshman Luke Ruggery gave the Red Flash a 16-14 lead with 7:13 to play in the half.
• Cohen grabbed three offensive rebounds before finishing at the basket to make the Saint Francis lead 24-21 with 1:50 remaining in the half.
• A Blue Devil was fouled on a three and converted on all three shots to tie the game before a Dixon-Conover three with 1.8 on the clock gave the Red Flash a 27-24 halftime advantage.
• CCSU hit a three to move ahead 33-32 before five straight points from Dixon-Conover helped Saint Francis retake the lead for the final time with 16:40 remaining.
• Four Hargis free throws on consecutive possessions extended the Red Flash advantage to 54-47 with 6:22 remaining.
• The Blue Devils cut their deficit to three before two Dixon-Conover free throws and a Thompson basket brought the advantage to 60-53 with 2:19 to play.
• The final two minutes were a challenge at the free-throw line as the Red Flash went 2-for-6. A corner three in the final second would bring the Blue Devils to within the final 62-59 margin.

STATS

• Dixon-Conover, Hargis, and Cohen led the team with seven rebounds each. Saint Francis held a 39-29 advantage on the glass.
• Laskey corralled four steals, quadrupling his career high.
• Laskey and Flagg recorded four assists each, while Dixon-Conover added three.
• Land tallied two blocks in a game for the third time this season.
• The Red Flash committed 18 turnovers, while the Blue Devils had 16.
• Saint Francis was 12-for-21 (57.1%) at the free-throw line.

GAME NOTES

• Saint Francis improves to 24-22 all-time against Central Connecticut.
• The Red Flash staff wore NABC masks in honor of what is traditionally Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week.
• Saint Francis, Central Connecticut, and Sacred Heart are the first three NEC teams to reach 10 conference games played.

UP NEXT 
The Red Flash and Blue Devils will close out their two-game weekend set Sunday afternoon. Opening tip is scheduled for 4 p.m. 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.