Weekend at Wagner up next for Red Flash
Miles McQuiggan
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The Saint Francis men's basketball team plays its final road series of the regular season when the Red Flash travels to Staten Island for two games at Wagner.
The Red Flash, still with an outside chance at the No. 4 seed in this year's condensed NEC tournament, will look for a pair of wins against a Seahawks team on the nation's ninth-longest winning streak.
The Series: Saint Francis (6-13, 5-10 NEC) at Wagner (8-5, 8-4 NEC)
Location: Spiro Sports Center (Staten Island, N.Y.)
Game 1: Saturday, Feb. 20 – 7 p.m.
Watch: NEC Front Row (Keith Raad)
Live Stats: Sidearm Sports
Game 2: Sunday, Feb. 21 – 4 p.m.
Watch: NEC Front Row (Ray Martel)
Live Stats: Sidearm Sports
Game Notes: Saint Francis
Social Media: Facebook |
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Instagram | #NECMBB
SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS
Wagner opened the year 1-5 overall and 1-4 in the NEC, but has now gone over a month without a defeat. The Seahawks have won seven straight games dating back to January 15, when they earned a split with LIU. Bashir Mason's squad has since swept St. Francis Brooklyn, Fairleigh Dickinson, and Mount St. Mary's, with five of those six games on the road.
The Seahawks' KenPom offensive efficiency is currently 218th nationally, which is nine back of the best season-ending mark in Mason's tenure. Wagner has played the toughest conference schedule through February 19, per KenPom.
Elijah Ford and Alex Morales rank third and fourth in the NEC in scoring, with both at 17.6 points per game. Ford is the only player in the NEC to average 13+ per game with fewer than 10 made threes (he is 1-for-4.)
SERIES HISTORY
The two NEC charter members have met 76 times with Saint Francis taking 39 of them. The Red Flash has won the last three, including a pair of double-digit victories last season.
Myles Thompson scored in double figures in both contests, including a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double on Staten Island.
LAST TIME OUT: SAINT FRANCIS 80 ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN 66
Senior
Ramiir Dixon-Conover matched his career high with 21 points, freshman
Ronell Giles, Jr. added 20, and the Red Flash shot 53% to earn a split against the Terriers.
SUM 41
Senior
Ramiir Dixon-Conover and freshman
Ronell Giles, Jr. each scored 20+ points in the win over St. Francis Brooklyn, making the duo the first Red Flash teammates to score 20 in the same game this season. Dixon-Conover matched his career-best output with 21 points, while Giles was one off his career high with 20.
RAMIIR'S HERE
After gaining experience behind some of the Red Flash's most decorated guards, senior
Ramiir Dixon-Conover is making the most of his opportunity this winter.
Dixon-Conover is ninth in the NEC in scoring (15.6), fourth in assists (4.4), and first in steals (2.1). The 2.1 steals per game rank 28th nationally.
MARK'S NOTABLE MARKS
Senior
Mark Flagg became the sixth player in program history to reach 100 career blocks in a contest against Merrimack. With two rejections, Flagg moved within four of Emmanuel Adekunle and Earl Brown for fourth in program history.
Flagg reached the 500-rebound plateau in the win over Fairleigh Dickinson. Flagg stands at 536 career rebounds entering the weekend.
NO FOUL, NO HARM
Redshirt sophomore
Bryce Laskey is one of the best in the nation at not fouling his opponents, per KenPom. Laskey has been assessed 1.22 fouls per 40 minutes this season, which ranks 17th nationally.
THE NEW GUYS
Freshmen have played 40.7% of the Red Flash's minutes this year against a strength of schedule that includes the No. 29 non-conference slate.
The backcourt trio of
Maxwell Land,
Zahree Harrison, and
Ronell Giles, Jr., along with forward
Josh Cohen, have contributed the majority of that time. Land has started all 17 games, Giles and Harrison have made three starts each, and Cohen has earned two.
They are joined by
Jeriah Coleman,
Brad McCabe, and
Luke Ruggery as freshmen to appear in a game this season. All seven have scored in at least two games.
FOUR SCORES
Freshman
Ronell Giles, Jr. scored 15+ points three times in January and was in double figures on four occasions during the month.
Giles' 21 points against Bryant were the most by a Red Flash freshman since
Keith Braxton scored 22 in the 2017 NEC Quarterfinal win over Bryant. The guard from Maryland was one off his career high with 20 in the win over St. Francis Brooklyn.
NEXT UP: MOUNT ST. MARY'S
Saint Francis will close the regular season Thursday at home against Mount St. Mary's. The 7 p.m. opening tip can be seen on NEC Front Row.
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To learn more about Saint Francis University, visit
francis.edu.
