Men's Basketball 12/7/2021 11:42:00 AM

Saint Francis Men's Basketball Returns To Nation's Capital For Tilt Against American On Wednesday

Saint Francis University (3-4) at American University (2-7)
Date \| Time	Wednesday, December 8, 2021 \| 7 p.m
Location	Washington, D.C. \| Bender Arena
Television	Dan Laing (play-by-play), Jimmy Patsos (analyst) \| ESPN+
Live Stats	SideArm
Printable Notes	Saint Francis \| American
Stats	Saint Francis \| American \| Northeast Conference
Social Media	@RedFlashMBB \| #BELIEVE \| @RedFlashMBB \| Facebook

Saint Francis Probable Starters
Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	PPG	RPG	FG%	Note
G	2	Ramiir Dixon-Conover	6-3	185	R-Sr.	13.8	5.5	44.2	Averaging 19.5 ppg against Patriot League this year
G	4	Ronell Giles, Jr.	6-4	185	So.	12.9	3.9	38.1	Playing his second career game near his hometown
G	11	Maxwell Land	6-4	185	So	10.0	3.9	41.8	Leads the NEC in free throw percentage
F	5	Myles Thompson	6-6	220	Sr.	12.3	4.0	46.9	Needs two points for 800 for his career
F	42	Mark Flagg	6-9	220	R-Sr.	5.7	6.3	43.2	Posted 17 points, 17 rebounds at GW in DC this year
Off the Bench
Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	PPG	RPG	FG%	Note
G	1	Zahree Harrison	6-0	190	So.	2.1	1.0	28.6	One of seven players to appear in all seven games
G	3	Luke Ruggery	5-11	160	R-So.	2.7	1.3	31.3	Scored a career-high nine points against Bucknell
F	13	Marlon Hargis	6-7	205	Sr.	7.3	1.6	56.7	Averaging 9.4 points per game on the road
F	15	Chukwu Ikediashi	6-8	220	R-Jr.	1.0	3.0	100	Two rebounds against Bucknell
G	20	Brendan Scanlon	5-8	155	Fr.	1.0	1.0	50.0	First career assist against Bucknell
G	21	Ben Seidel	6-0	170	Jr.	0.0	0.0	0.0	Saw action in two games this season
G/F	22	Tyler Stewart	6-8	195	R-Sr.	--	--	--	Has not played in first seven games
G	23	A.J. Labriola	6-2	185	Sr.	0.0	1.0	0.0	Appeared in two games this season
G	31	Brad McCabe	6-6	185	r-Jr.	0.4	0.8	16.7	Scored first points of season against Bucknell
F	32	Jeriah Coleman	7-0	220	So.	2.5	1.8	60.0	Career-high seven points and rebounds vs. Bucknell
F	42	Josh Cohen	6-10	215	R-So.	11.7	6.7	70.7	Leads the NEC in field goal percentage

GAME NOTES VS. AMERICAN
need to know... The game between Saint Francis and American marks the 23rd meeting in the all-time series dating back to the 1972-73 season.
• The Eagles lead the series 13-9, including a 9-1 mark in Washington, D.C..
• The Red Flash has won four of the last five meetings in the series, including a 79-76 decision at DeGol Arena in 2019-20.
• The Eagles last win in the series was a 95-87 win at home in 2018-19, while Saint Francis picked up its first win at Bender Arena with a 69-62 decision in 2016-17.
• American and Lehigh are two teams that have been on the schedule every season except last year in head coach Rob Krimmel's 10 seasons as a head coach. The Red Flash are 4-4 against American under Krimmel.

a sfu win would... Complete a three-game sweep against the Patriot League after defeating Lehigh and Bucknell earlier this season.
• Even the team's record on the year to 4-4.
• Be the team's third win in the last four games.
• Be the second win on the road.

next on tap... Saint Francis continues its third leg of a four-game road trip at Hartford on Dec. 14 for the Jack Phelan Classic.
• The Red Flash then completes its road trip on Dec. 18 at an Illinois team that is currently receiving votes in the AP poll.
• The Red Flash return from its four-game road trip to face Robert Morris on Dec. 22. The game against the Colonials wraps up non-conference play.

the word on the eagles... American comes into the contest 2-7 after falling 90-56 to crosstown rival Howard on Saturday.
• Matt Rogers scored half of the Eagles points to lead the team with 30 points. Stacy Beckton, Jr. added 11 points against the Bison.
• Beckton leads the team in both scoring (13.2 ppg.) and rebounding (4.6 rpg.), steals (11) and blocks (7).
• Rogers is second. on the team with 10.0 points per game.
• Colin Smalls leads the team with 28 assists and ranks third with 9.2 points per game.

last time we met... Keith Braxton made two free throws with three seconds left to give Saint Francis the lead for good in a 79-76 win against American on Nov. 16, 2019. Braxton finished the game with 19 points.
• Braxton was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made the first two attempts. He missed the third chance, but Tyler Stewart grabbed the rebound and scored in the lane to set the final score. Stewart finished with 11 points.
• Isaiah Blackmon scored 28 points to lead all scorers.
• Jamir Harris fueled the Eagles with 21 points, while Sa'eed Nelson (15 points), Stacy Beckton, Jr. (11 points) and Connor Nelson (10 points) all found double figures.

last time out... Ohio University defeated Saint Francis 78-75 despite a furious comeback at the end by the Red Flash.
• Redshirt senior Ramiir Dixon-Conover capped a 13-2 run to cut the margin to 76-75 with 11 seconds left. Sophomore Maxwell Land stole the inbounds pass and the Red Flash had two scoring chances before the Bobcats secured the rebound and the win.
• Senior Myles Thompson paced the Red Flash with a season-high 19 points. Land (15 points), redshirt sophomore Josh Cohen (14 points), sophomore Ronell Giles, Jr. (12 points) and Dixon-Conover 10 points) also registered double figures in the contest.

trending up... Redshirt senior Ramiir Dixon-Conover was named a Northeast Conference Prime Performer for last week after averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game in the two games.
• The redshirt senior is averaging 16.3 points per game in his last three games and has registered double figures in five of the six games he has played this season. He has registered at least three assists in all six games, and needs two assists to reach 200 for his career.
• Senior Myles Thompson posted a season-high 19 points against Ohio and has registered three games with at least 17 points and has tallied at least nine points in six of the seven games. The senior has also gotten hot from behind the arc, connecting on 7 of his last 11 shots from downtown. In addition he is 15 of 17 from the free throw line. Thompson needs two points to reach 800 for his career.
• Sophomore Maxwell Land has posted double figures in his last two games including his first 10+ game on the road with 15 points at Ohio on Saturday. Land went 8-for-9 from the free throw line against the Bobcats and is 15 of 16 from the charity stripe this season. Land, who had two steals for the second time this season, has 12 assists in his last four games.
• Redshirt sophomore Josh Cohen has reached at least eight points in each of his last six games, including three games with at least 14 points. He is averaging 14.8 points per game in his last four games. Cohen has also grabbed at least five rebounds in his last six games with four contests of at least seven caroms and two double-digit rebound performances.
• Sophomore Ronell Giles, Jr. has posted double figures in each of his last four games and five tilts in his last six contests. He is averaging 15.0 points per game in his last four games and has registered two games with at least five rebounds, four assists and three steals in this span, including a career-high five steals against Cornell on Nov. 24 and a career-best seven assists against Ohio.
• Saint Francis as a team has posted 70 points in six of the seven games this season and 79 points four times. The squad is 3-1 when posting 79 points or more in 2021-22.
• In the second half of every game this year except for Virginia Tech, the Red Flash have scored at least 45 points and have shot at least 45.5 percent from the field in those contests. In addition, the squad has registered at least 58 percent in the last three contests in the second half with two of those performances boasting at least 60 percent in the final quarter.

non-conference slate.. The Northeast Conference schedule starts in five games and the team has recorded at least three wins in the non-conference schedule for the 18th time since joining the NEC.
• When the team wins at least three non-conference games, the squad has posted at least a .500 record in the circuit in 13 of the previous 17 occasions including eight 10-win seasons in league play.
• Under head coach Rob Krimmel the squad has won at least three non-conference games from 2013-14 to 2019-20. The Loretto program finished 2014-15 and 2015-16 with a 9-9 record, and then won 11 (2016-17), 12 (2017-18, 2018-19) and 13 (2019-20) conference games in that span.
• In 2014-15 and 2017-18 the team participated in the CIT and in 2019-20 advanced to the NEC Championship Game.
• In 2018-19, Saint Francis started the year 3-4 and went on to win the NEC regular season, and play in the conference championship game and the NIT.

against teams in the nation's capital… This will be Saint Francis' second trip to the nation's capital in 2020-21 after opening the season with a 75-72 loss at George Washington on Nov. 9.
• The Red Flash are 27-35 all-time against teams from Washington, D.C./Fairfax, Va., and 5-27 against those teams.
• It will be the third time in team history the squad will play two games in the nation's capital in the same season. The squad also played at American and Georgetown in 1972-73 and at American and Howard in 2006-07. In both of those seasons, the Loretto program lost both games in Washington, D.C.
• Head coach Rob Krimmel will bring his team to the nation's capital area for the seventh time in his tenure as head coach.
• Sophomore Ronell Giles, Jr. will play his second game near his hometown of Brandywine, Md. in Prince George's County after posting nine points in the season opener against the Colonials.

in the nec… Redshirt senior Ramiir Dixon-Conover leads the league in assists (4.33) and ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (2.36), third in steals (2.17) and seventh in the scoring (13.8 ppg.).
• Redshirt sophomore Josh Cohen leads the conference in field goal percentage (70.7), and ranks second in the circuit in offensive rebounds (2.86), fifth in free throw percentage (85.7), seventh in rebounding (6.7) and 18th in scoring (11.7 ppg.).
• Sophomore Maxwell Land leads the league in free throw percentage (93.8).
• Sophomore Ronell Giles, Jr. ranks 10th in scoring (12.9 ppg.), seventh in steals (1.71), and third in minutes played (33.71).
• Senior Myles Thompson ranks fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (52.4), fourth in free throw percentage (88.2) and 12th in scoring (12.3 ppg.).
• Senior Mark Flagg ranks eighth in rebounding (6.3 rpg.), ninth in defensive rebounds (4.29), ninth in offensive rebounds (2.33).and 10th in blocked shots (0.86)
• Saint Francis ranks in the Top-5 in the Northeast Conference in 19 team categories, including pacing the league in scoring offense (79.1 ppg.), offensive rebounds (13.29), assist/turnover ratio (1.18) and offensive rebound percentage (35.0).
• The Red Flash also ranks second in scoring margin (+4.9), second in free throw percentage (74.1), second in field goal percentage (44.8), second in rebounding offense (39.9), second in turnover margin (+3.71), third rebounding margin (+4.6), third in defensive rebounds (26.57), third in defensive rebound percentage (71.5), fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (32.0), fourth in assists (14.00), fourth in steals (8.00), fourth in rebounding defense (35.3), fifth in scoring defense (74.3), fifth in field goal defense (43.6) and fifth in blocked shots (3.00).

only flagg in name, not on his play... Redshirt senior Mark Flagg started his final season in red and black with back to back double-doubles after posting 17 points and a career-high 17 rebounds against George Washington on Nov. 9, and 11 points and 10 rebounds against Franciscan on Nov, 15. It is the second time in his career he has posted consecutive double-doubles.
• With his 40 points to start the year, Flagg now has 823 points for his career on his march toward 1,000 career points.
• He has notched six rejections to start the season to sit in third place in program history with 109 blocks. Flagg can move into second place with 28 rejections.
• Flagg is now one of six players with 100 blocks, and if he reaches 110 knock aways he would be only the third player in team history with 110 blocks.
• Flagg also needs four assists to reach 100 for his career.
• According to KenPom, Flagg recorded a defensive rebound on 41 percent of George Washington's possessions.

continuing where he left off... Redshirt senior Ramiir Dixon-Conover was the team's leading scorer in 2020-21. He has posted double figures in 20 of the last 24 games he played including 19 of his last 22 games.
• Dixon-Conover has six 20-point performances, including a career-high 23 points against Bucknell on Dec. 1.
• The redshirt senior has 11 games with 17 points or more in his career.
• Dixon-Conover moved off 500 points in his career with his career-high performance against Bucknell. He also has over 200 rebounds, 100 steals, and needs two assists to reach 200 for his career.

career night... Redshirt senior Ramiir Dixon-Conover scored a career-best 23 points against Bucknell on Dec. 1.
• Redshirt sophomore Luke Ruggery posted a career-best nine points against Bucknell, while sophomore Jeriah Coleman had a personal-high seven points and seven rebounds against the Bison on Dec. 1.
• Redshirt sophomore Josh Cohen notched a career-best 18 points against Cornell on Nov. 24 and again against Lehigh on Nov. 28. Cohen had a career-best 11 boards against Franciscan on Nov. 15.
• Senior Marlon Hargis has improved his best scoring output in the Red and Black in the last two games. After reaching a then-best 15 points against Virginia Tech on Nov. 18, Hargis scored two more points for 17 points against Cornell on Nov. 24. The senior's career high is 19 points against Harvard on Nov. 22, 2019 when he played for Holy Cross.
• Sophomore Maxwell Land posted a career-high 19 points against Franciscan on Nov. 15.
• Redshirt senior Mark Flagg hauled in a career-high 17 rebounds against George Washington on November 9.

benchmarks for success... Saint Francis is 3-3 this season when it reaches 70 points in a game, and 3-1 when it posted 79 points.
• Seventy is usually a magic number for success under head coach Rob Krimmel. The squad is 91-48 overall when it posts 70 on the scoreboard, including 42-34 (70-79 points), 37-12 (80-89 points), 12-2 (90-99 points) and 10-0 (over 100 points) in a game.
• The squad is also 104-30 when leading at halftime, and 91-54 when it had more free throws than the opponent.
• Defensively, the team is 72-31 when it allows under 69 points in a game. This season, the team is 3-0 after allowing 54 points against Franciscan,68 points to Lehigh and 67 points to Bucknell.

first collegiate points... Freshman Brendan Scanlon, the lone newcomer on the team, notched his first collegiate action against Franciscan on Nov. 15. The freshman registered a pair of rebounds and received a huge ovation when he scored off the glass with 27 seconds left for his first collegiate points.

preseason poll... Saint Francis was picked eighth in the Northeast Conference preseason poll. Wagner College received seven of the 10 first place votes to be selected as the preseason favorite. Bryant University picked up two first place nods to finish second, while Mount St. Mary's University earned the final first place selection to place fourth. Long Island University, Merrimack College, Sacred Heart University, St. Francis Brooklyn, the Red Flash, Fairleigh Dickinson University and Central Connecticut State rounded out the 10-team poll.

captain, my captain... Redshirt senior Ramiir Dixon-Conover, senior Myles Thompson and sophomore Luke Ruggery have been named team captains for the 2021-22 season.
• Dixon-Conover and Thompson were also team captains in 2020-21.

20-point club... Redshirt senior Ramiir Dixon-Conover leads the team with six games with at least 20 points in his career. Dixon-Conover registered five 20-point performances in 2020-21 and notched his first one of the season in 2021-22 against Bucknell on Dec. 1.
• Redshirt seniors Mark Flagg and Tyler Stewart, and senior Myles Thompson both have one 20-point performance in their career. Flagg posted his 20-point game in 2018-19 while Stewart and Thompson both recorded their 20-point game in 2019-20.
• Sophomore Ronell Giles, Jr. posted two 20-point games last year with his career-best 21 points in the first match up against Bryant.

double vision... Redshirt senior Mark Flagg posted double-doubles in his first two games this season, while sophomore Josh Cohen turned the trick against Franciscan on Nov. 15, and against Lehigh on Nov. 28.
• Flagg posted the first double-double of this season with 17 points and 17 rebounds against George Washington on November 9, and followed that performance up with 11 points and 10 rebounds against Franciscan. Cohen had 11 points and a career-best 11 rebounds against Franciscan, and 18 points and 10 rebounds against Lehigh on Nov. 28.
• Flagg now has five double-doubles and Cohen has three double-doubles in their career. Senior Myles Thompson also has three career double-doubles.
• Cohen, Flagg and Thompson each have double-doubles that are points and rebounds. Redshirt senior Ramiir Dixon-Conover has two double-doubles in his career, one with points and rebounds and one that is with points and assists against Bryant last season.

boards up... Redshirt senior Mark Flagg has six double-digit rebound games in his career with two coming this season, including a career-high 17 caroms against George Washington on November 9.
• Sophomore Josh Cohen has two career 10+ rebound games, including a career-best 11 boards against Franciscan and 10 caroms against Lehigh on Nov. 28.
• Senior Myles Thompson ranks second on the team with three 10+ rebound games.

within hop, skip and a jump of loretto... Saint Francis has three local players on the team. Senior A.J. Labriola (Altoona), junior Ben Seidel (Johnstown) and redshirt sophomore Luke Ruggery (Duncansville) all hail from within 30 minutes of the Saint Francis campus.

flash return... Saint Francis returns all, but two players from last year's team.
• The squad returns 91 percent of its minutes, points and rebounds from last year.
• The Red Flash also returns its Top-6 scorers from 2020-21 with redshirt senior Ramiir Dixon-Conover leading the way with 15.5 points per game and senior Myles Thompson ranking second with 10.1 points per game. Redshirt senior Mark Flagg led the team on the boards with 6.0 rebounds per game.

coaches dream team... Head coach Rob Krimmel has assembled a coaching staff with strong ties to Saint Francis.
• Krimmel, a 2000 graduate of Saint Francis, was an Academic All-American.
• Assistant coach Eric Taylor, a 1998 graduate, was a three-time All-NEC selection, ranks 23rd in program history in points (1,287) and fifth in rebounding (967).
• Graduate assistants Ronnie Drinnon, an All-NEC first team selection as a senior and Jamaal King, who was named to the all-conference first team in his last two seasons, both played for Krimmel and also have etched their name into Saint Francis lore. King ranks 10th in program history in points (1,517 points) while Drinnon is 11th in rebounding (804). Drinnon graduated from Saint Francis in 2016 and King graduated in 2019.
• Assistant coach Luke McConnell, a 2012 Saint Francis graduate, played on the Red Flash football team as a student-athlete. McConnell is the son of former Saint Francis men's basketball head coach Tom McConnell (1992-99), while his cousin T.J. McConnell is in his seventh season in the NBA.

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