LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University women's basketball returns home for a matchup with Central Connecticut on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. The game will mark the first of three home games to end the regular-season slate for the Red Flash.
 
Saint Francis Quick Hits
» Jada Dapaa became the fifth player in Saint Francis program history to grab 300 rebounds in a single-season. Her 317 this season rank sixth in program history and she is 49 shy of the record. Her 12.2 rebounds per game this season rank fourth in the NCAA Division I. She is averaging a double-double since the start of Northeast Conference play with 10.3 points and 14.3 rebounds per game. She is six rebounds shy of 700 in her career.
» Since the start of conference play, Sam Miller ranks fourth in the NEC with a 49.5 field goal percentage in 13 games. She has 8.8 points per game during that stretch and has 6.9 points per game overall this season.
» Jenna Mastellone continues to pace the Red Flash with 10.1 points per game. Her 11.4 points per game since the start of conference play ranks 14th in the NEC.
» As a team, Saint Francis leads the conference with a plus-6.1 rebounding margin in conference play.
 
Scouting Central Connecticut
The Blue Devils enter Thursday's game with a 3-10 conference and 5-17 overall record. They are currently in last-place in the Northeast Conference and a 65-58 loss to Wagner snapped two straight wins. Ashley Berube leads the team with 14.7 points per game, second in the NEC, a 46.9 field goal percentage, fifth in the NEC, and 6.3 rebounds per game, sixth in the NEC. Forever Toppin ranks third in the NEC with 2.0 steals and sixth with 3.5 assists per game. Belle Lanpher is second on the team with 9.4 points per game despite only having four games started. As a team, the Blue Devils rank second in the conference with 3.6 blocked shots per game.
 
Last Time Out
Saint Francis' comeback effort fell short in a 57-54 overtime loss at St. Francis Brooklyn. The Red Flash ended the first quarter with a 7-0 run and the teams were tied 8-8 after a low-scoring first quarter. Saint Francis then went on a 13-4 run in the second quarter before they entered halftime with a 21-16 lead. In the third quarter, the Red Flash opened their largest lead 29-20 before St. Francis Brooklyn made it 33-31 after three quarters. Down 46-44 in the final seconds, Jada Dapaa converted a layup with under two seconds remaining to force overtime. In overtime, St. Francis Brooklyn finished the period with a 7-2 run to clinch the three-point win. Dapaa scored a career-high 23 points and had her third straight double-double with 18 rebounds. Kaitlyn Maxwell was second on the team with nine points and dished out six assists. Ally Lassen led the Terriers with 17 points.
 
All-Time vs. Central Connecticut
The Red Flash hold a 36-15 all-time advantage over the Blue Devils and are riding a six-game winning streak in the series. Saint Francis has won 11 of the past 13 matchups after a three-game winning streak by Central Connecticut. The series began in the 1997-98 season with a 70-67 Central Connecticut victory. In the last matchup on Jan. 21, the Red Flash defeated the Blue Devils 69-59. Lili Benzel scored a career-high 25 points and Jada Dapaa dished out a career-high nine assists in the game. Ashley Berube and Forever Toppin led the Blue Devils with 15 points each.
 
Around the NEC
Fairleigh Dickinson remains in a two-game lead in first place after a 59-52 defeat of Bryant. St. Francis Brooklyn kept pace in second-place with a 57-54 overtime win over Saint Francis. Wagner jumped to third-place with a 65-58 win over Central Connecticut and Mount St. Mary's dropped to fourth with a 60-46 loss to LIU. The Sharks have won four of their last six games to move into fifth-place. The Red Flash sit in sixth-place after back-to-back overtime losses. Sacred Heart defeated Merrimack 61-56 for its second win in a row and moved into seventh-place. Merrimack, Bryant and Central Connecticut round out the standings in that order.
 
Dapaa Named NEC Player of the Week
For the second week in a row, Jada Dapaa was named Northeast Conference Player of the Week on Feb. 21. She recorded a career-high 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting against St. Francis Brooklyn. In two games, she combined for 39 points, 35 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and two blocks. She grabbed her 300th rebound of the season and became the fifth player in Saint Francis history to achieve the feat. She finished the weekend with 317 rebounds and moved to sixth in single-season program history.
 
Dapaa Named NEC Co-Player of the Week, Benzel Prime Performer
Jada Dapaa earned her first-career major weekly award with a Northeast Conference Co-Player of the Week selection on Feb. 14. She earned her sixth double-double of the season in a win over first-place Fairleigh Dickinson on Feb. 11. She had a career-high four blocks and her seventh game of the season with at least 15 rebounds. At the time of her honor, she ranked ninth in the NCAA Division I with 11.8 rebounds per game. Lili Benzel earned her first Prime Performer selection of the season after a team-high 19 points in the defeat of Fairleigh Dickinson.
 
Dapaa Named Northeast Conference Prime Performer for the Fourth Time
Forward Jada Dapaa earned her fourth Northeast Conference Prime Performer selection of the season on Feb. 7. She scored a career-high 19 points and added 16 rebounds at Merrimack to record her fifth double-double of the season. She also tied her career-high with three steals, which ties the most in a single-game by a Red Flash player this season.
 
Dapaa, Mastellone Earn Third Northeast Conference Prime Performer Honors
Forward Jada Dapaa and guard Jenna Mastellone both earned their third Northeast Conference Prime Performer selection on Jan. 25. Dapaa grabbed 38 rebounds in two victories over Central Connecticut and Sacred Heart. Her 23 rebounds at Sacred Heart are one shy of tying a single-game program record and tied for the most by a player in the NCAA Division I this season. Mastellone had 20 points against Sacred Heart and 19 against Central Connecticut. She had 20 or more points in three of her first seven games to start conference play.
 
Mastellone Earned Second Northeast Conference Prime Performer
Guard Jenna Mastellone earned her second Northeast Conference Prime Performer selection of the season on Jan. 19. She scored a career-high 29 points in Saint Francis' 70-62 win over Merrimack, the most scored by a Red Flash player since Karson Swogger's 29 points against St. Francis Brooklyn on Jan. 11, 2019 – a 53-game span. At the time of her selection, Mastellone ranked 11th in the NEC with a 45.5 shooting percentage and 13th with 10.3 points per game.
 
Dapaa Earned Second Northeast Conference Prime Performer
Forward Jada Dapaa earned her second Northeast Conference Prime Performer selection of the season on Jan. 10. She scored a career-high 17 points against St. Francis Brooklyn and grabbed a combined 24 rebounds against the Terriers and LIU. She grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out a career-high five assists in the team's first win of the season 66-50 over LIU. The performance against St. Francis Brooklyn marked her third double-double of the season and seventh of her career.
 
Dapaa Achieved 500 Career Rebounds Milestone
Forward Jada Dapaa eclipsed the 500 career rebounds mark with her third-quarter board against Fairleigh Dickinson on Dec. 31. She finished the game with one additional rebound that put her career total at 501. She will need 598 rebounds to enter Saint Francis' top-15 all-time rankings. At the time of her 500th board, she had a 9.5 rebounds per game average with 16 regular season games remaining, barring any cancellations.
 
Mastellone Named a Northeast Conference Prime Performer
Guard Jenna Mastellone earned the first weekly honor of her career when she was named a Northeast Conference Prime Performer on Dec. 27. She recorded a game-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting at Jacksonville State. The performance pushed her to 11th in the NEC with a 44.9 shooting percentage through non-conference play. Her six converted field goals were tied for her career-high that she set in 2020 against Merrimack.
 
The NEC Announces an Expansion of 2022 Tournament
The Northeast Conference announced a one-time expansion of the 2022 NEC Men's and Women's Tournament to include all-nine eligible teams on Dec. 23. The vote will maintain the league's current cancellation and forfeit policy. The policy is as follows:

• If a team is unable to compete due to COVID-19 related issues, the NEC contest will not be rescheduled and will be considered a forfeit. For purposes of conference regular season standings and tiebreakers, a forfeit will count as an NEC win for the team that was cleared to compete, and a loss for the team that could not compete.
• If two opponents are unable to compete due to COVID-19 issues, both teams shall be deemed to have forfeited and each team will be charged with a loss.
• As per NCAA policy, a COVID-19 related forfeit will not change a team's official won-lost record, nor will it impact statistics or coaching records.
• In the event of a forfeit during an NEC championship game, the bracket will not be modified and the team cleared to compete will advance

 
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 freshmen, 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 freshmen 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
Saint Francis hosts its senior day on Saturday, Feb. 26 before a 4 p.m. tip-off against Sacred Heart. The game will be aired on ESPN3.