LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University women's basketball travels to its second nationally ranked opponent of the season when they visit No. 17 Georgia on Sunday for a 2 p.m. tip-off. The road trip to Georgia and Jacksonville State marks the final non-conference games of the season for the Red Flash.
 
Saint Francis Quick Hits
» Jada Dapaa has a double-double in two of the last three games and has a conference-leading 9.1 rebounds per game.
» Sam Miller secured a career-high nine rebounds last time out against Duquesne and tied her career-high with two assists.
» Lili Benzel scored a season-high 14 points against Duquesne, which marked her third double-digit scoring game of the season. 
» Jordan McLemore saw 26:45 of game action at Duquesne, her most with the Red Flash, and produced six points and three assists.
 
Scouting Georgia
The Bulldogs enter Sunday's game ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press Poll with a 9-1 record. They are off a thrilling 82-80 overtime victory over No. 2 NC State, their first road victory over a No. 1 or No. 2-ranked team in program history. Georgia's leading scorer Jenna Staiti had a double-double in the victory and Que Morrison had a season-high 20 points. Staiti has 2.8 blocks per game, third in the SEC, and Morrison has 4.5 assists per game, fourth in the SEC. Staiti was named to the Lisa Leslie Award Watch List before the season, awarded to the top center in women's college basketball. The Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Second Round in the 2020-21 season after they fell 67-62 to top-seeded South Carolina in the SEC Championship. Head coach Joni Taylor was named SEC Coach of the Year last season and was one of four finalists for the Werner Ladder Naismith national Coach of the Year award.
 
Last Time Out
The Red Flash fell to in-state foe Duquesne 70-61 despite Jada Dapaa's double-double. Kaitlyn Maxwell hit a buzzer-beater at the halftime horn that cut the Red Flash deficit to 31-27. Out of the half, Duquesne opened up a 40-27 lead behind nine-straight points from Tess Myers. Saint Francis cut the lead to 48-44 before Duquesne responded with seven-straight points to start the fourth quarter. The Dukes led by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter. The Red Flash outrebounded Duquesne, which marked the fourth time they outrebounded their opponent this season. Dapaa led the way with 12 rebounds, while Sam Miller set a new career-high with nine. Lili Benzel scored a season-high 14 points on five converted field goals. 
 
All-Time vs. Georgia
The Bulldogs hold a 1-0 advantage over the Red Flash with their 98-66 victory on March 15, 1996. The game was played in the NCAA First Round when Georgia was ranked No. 5 nationally and No. 2 in the Midwest Region bracket. The Bulldogs advanced to the National Championship that season, where they lost 83-65 to East Region No. 1-ranked Tennessee. Sunday's matchup will mark the first regular season meeting between Saint Francis and Georgia.
 
Melendez Rounds Out the Red Flash Coaching Staff
Tayra Melendez was hired as an assistant coach to round out head coach Keila Whittington's coaching staff. Melendez is part of the Puerto Rican National Team since 2014 and was one of 12 players selected to represent Puerto Rico at the summer 2020 Olympics. She played professionally in the PR-Baloncesto Superior Nacional Femenino, where she was a two-time league champion, two-time Defensive Player of the League and one-time Finals MVP. Melendez joins the Red Flash after she spent two seasons with Bryant as the director of operations.
 
Dapaa Named a Northeast Conference Prime Performer
Jada Dapaa earned the first weekly honor for the Red Flash this season when she was selected as an NEC Prime Performer on Dec. 6. The senior grabbed 26 rebounds in two games against La Salle and Bucknell and recorded a double-double against La Salle. The selection was the second weekly honor of Dapaa's career, her first a Prime Performer selection on Feb. 8, 2021. 
 
The Red Flash Welcome Five Players in 2022 Signing Class
Saint Francis adds five players, guards Katie Ambrose, Semaya Turner and Destini Ward and forwards Jade Campbell and Julianna Gibson, in the 2022 signing class. Ambose accumulated 1,222 points, 665 assists, 428 rebounds and 363 steals in her first three seasons. In 64 career games, Turner amassed 584 points, 501 rebounds, 119 steals and 99 blocks. Ward is a two-time Baltimore County All-Division Team selection. Campbell has over 700 points in her career and has a single-game high of 33 points and 23 rebounds. Lastly, Gibson scored 79 points and grabbed 79 rebounds in 13 games during her junior season.
 
"We found five players who will fill in the gaps, along with the players we have returning next season," said head coach Keila Whittington. "Each player brings passion and a love for the game, athleticism, and a desire to join a program that works hard to fight for and win championships."
 
Red Flash Picked Third in NEC Preseason Poll
Saint Francis was picked to finish third in the 2021-22 NEC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll. The Red Flash trail Mount St. Mary's, unanimously selected to win the conference, and Wagner. Sacred Heart and Fairleigh Dickinson rounded out the top-five voting. Mount St. Mary's won the NEC in 2020-21 after defeating Wagner, 70-38.
 
Dapaa, McLemore Named Team Captains
Seniors Jada Dapaa and Jordan McLemore were named captains, selected by their teammates. Both will serve as captain for the first time, McLemore serving her captaincy in her first season with the Red Flash. "We opened up voting this year to our players," said head coach Keila Whittington. "She [McLemore] earned that respect from the work she put in during the summer."
 
2021-22 Non-Conference Schedule Highlighted by Two Power Five Opponents
The Red Flash non-conference schedule features marquee matchups against Georgia and West Virginia. Georgia finished the 2020-21 season ranked 10th, while West Virginia finished 17th in the Associated Press Poll. MAC opponents Toledo and Kent State and AAC opponent Temple join the group of notable non-conference opponents.
 
Taylor Returns to Saint Francis as Assistant Coach
Former Red Flash forward Brooklyn Taylor rejoined the program as an assistant coach in May 2021. She previously spent the past three seasons with Akron and two seasons at Mercer after her 2016 graduation from Saint Francis. As a player, Taylor appeared in 70 games across four seasons with the Red Flash.
 
Brown Named to Red Flash Coaching Staff
Assistant coach Erika Brown joined the Red Flash staff in May 2021 after previously coaching at Harcum College, Stony Brook and Florida International. During her time with Stony Brook in 2019-20, she assisted a team that went 28-3 and won the America East Championship. They were poised for a NCAA Tournament run before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a player at Delaware, Brown ranked 10th in program history with 1,402 career points.
 
The Red Flash Return Two Starters, Three Others with Saint Francis Starting Experience
Kaitlyn Maxwell and Lili Benzel return after starting 22 and 18 games, respectively. Jenna Mastellone (six), Jada Dapaa (three) and Sam Miller (one) also bring starting experience to the 2021-22 season. Benzel, Mastellone and Dapaa all averaged more than 22 minutes per game. Dapaa led the team with 8.6 rebounds-per-game, which ranked second in the NEC. Benzel had an NEC-leading 48 made three-point shots and team-leading 36.1 percent from three. She has a chance to reach the Saint Francis top-10 rankings in just three seasons with the team. Mastellone's 105-career appearances with Saint Francis is 47 more than second-most on the team (Dapaa, 58). Maxwell and Miller will fill larger roles with three key departures after averaging 18.6 and 15.8 minutes-per-game, respectively.
 
Five Newcomers Added
The Red Flash welcomed five new members, one transfer, Jordan McLemore, and four freshman, Layla Laws, Maria McConnell, Adison Novosel and Nyla Rozier. McLemore, a senior, comes from Hartford where she was fifth in the America East with 95 assists in 2019-20. The four freshman all stand 5-foot-11 or taller and have two forwards and two guards. McConnell grew up in Nanty Glo, Pa. and played basketball at Blacklick Valley, 20 minutes away from Saint Francis.
 
Next
The Red Flash visit Jacksonville State on Tuesday, Dec. 21 for a 2 p.m. tip-off. The game will mark Saint Francis' final non-conference game of the season.