Saint Francis Hosts LIU Thursday and Friday

1/6/2021 10:00:00 AM

Maria Slovikovski

LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis women's basketball team (4-4, 2-0 NEC) opens play in 2021 with a two-game series against LIU inside DeGol Arena. Tip-off for Thursday's game is scheduled for 7 p.m. while Friday's tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.

The Matchup: Saint Francis (4-4, 2-0 NEC) vs. LIU (1-1, 1-1 NEC)
Location: DeGol Arena (Loretto, Pa.)
Date and Time: Thursday at 7 p.m. | Friday at 4 p.m.
Watch: NEC Front Row: Game 1 | Game 2
Live Stats: sfuathletics.com
Game Notes: Saint Francis
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

SCOUTING THE SHARKS
LIU holds a 1-1 record entering its third game of the 2020-21 season as the Sharks did not participate in a non-conference schedule. LIU opened the season with a split against Sacred Heart on the Sharks' home court on Dec. 15 and 16.

The Sharks were selected to finish fifth among the league's 10 teams, according to the preseason coaches' poll. Junior Brandy Thomas was a unanimous selection for the preseason All-NEC team. Thomas was named to the Eastern College Athletic Conference Second Team following her sophomore season after being named ECAC Rookie of the Year and All-NEC First Team as a freshman in 2018-19.

Juniors Ryan Weise and Kiara Bell lead LIU in scoring with 13.5 and 11.5 points per game, respectively. Bell also leads the team on the boards, averaging 10.5 rebounds per game, following a double-double in the season opener (12 points, 15 rebounds). Weise is the assist leader with 4.5 assists per game.

SERIES HISTORY
Saint Francis leads the all-time series with LIU 50-20, though the Sharks own the last three games. Prior the LIU's current streak, the Red Flash had won eight-straight games. The most recent post-season matchup was on March 14, 2010 in the NEC Tournament Championship game. SFU won by a 77-68 margin to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Last season, LIU won by a 71-53 margin in Brooklyn and a 71-64 margin in Loretto. On February 23, Haley Thomas led a trio of double-figure scorers with 20 points while Karson Swogger and Lili Benzel each had 12 points. The Sharks' Brandy Thomas was the game's leading scorer, totaling 29 points.

LAST TIME OUT
The Red Flash closed out 2020 and the non-conference schedule with a 78-69 win at Towson on December 22. Red-shirt junior guard Lili Benzel jump-started the Saint Francis offense with a career-high 21 points, all coming in the first half of play. After Towson fought back to take the lead midway through the second quarter, SFU put together a 13-0 run to lead by 10 at halftime.

The Saint Francis defensive front held the Tigers' offense to just 69 points as Towson was averaging 96.3 points per game entering the contest. Junior center Jada Dapaa recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and a season-high 15 rebounds. Senior guards Karson Swogger (16) and Jenna Mastellone (12) joined Benzel and Dapaa in double figures.

Follow Saint Francis Women's Basketball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get up-to-date information and a behind-the-scenes look at the Red Flash program.

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

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