WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Maxwell Land's (Cincinnati, Ohio) first shot of the game was his 100th career 3-pointer, while he finished with a Northeast Conference (NEC) career-high 21 points to lift Saint Francis past LIU 87-68 on Saturday and help the Red Flash start the league slate 4-0 for the second time in team history and the first since the NEC Championship team in 1990-91. 
>> With his shot from downtown, Land became the 26th player in team history to reach 100 triples in his career and the ninth player under head coach Rob Krimmel. The junior, who had his first career 20-point game at LIU on January 9, 2022, came into the contest with four games of exactly 20 points in league play.
>> Landon Moore (Bloomington, Ill.) led all scorers with 22 points and posted his most points in a game at DeGol Arena.
>> The Jersey Force boys of Josh Cohen (Lincroft, N.J.) and Brad McCabe (Manasquan, N.J.) each had 13 points, while Cohen grabbed nine rebounds and McCabe hauled in a season-high eight boards.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
Saint Francis jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead in the first three minutes of the game thanks to two-point baskets by Cohen and McCabe and 3-balls from Moore and Land to take the lead it would not relinquish. 
 
LIU hung around and made it a one-possession game several times over the next 14 minutes before the Red Flash closed the final three minutes on a 10-2 run to take a double-figure lead at 38-27 going into the locker room. McCabe and Moore both had four points in the spurt, including a turnaround jumper by Moore at time was expiring in the half. 

FLASH QUOTES
"A good way to come back after a week off, after 40 minutes of basketball to be on the winning side. I thought that for the first 20 minutes, we did a pretty good job of executing what we needed to execute, especially those last four-five minutes where we went on a 10-3 run to give ourselves a little bit of a lead going into the half." – said head coach Rob Krimmel on the game
 
"We haven't played we a big lead much this year. To play with the ability to take a 10-point lead and turn it into 12, 13 or 14 that's an important step for this group." – Krimmel on playing with a lead
 
"The daily practice or lift, we've gone the whole year without somebody wearing a different practice jersey. Everybody has worn their own practice jersey the entire year. I challenge the group at the beginning of the year to be able to do that. We have been able to do those things. Anytime I challenge them to do something, maybe a little bit out of the ordinary or a little different or to focus on something that has nothing to do with winning a basketball game (maybe to them) they have embraced it." – Krimmel on why he believed in his team at the start of NEC play 
 
"I really think our non-conference schedule really prepared us for where we are at right now. Coach Krimmel's word for the new year was focus. When we got back the day after Christmas, we all just decided to buy in and accept our roles. Focus is a really big part of us winning these games. I think focus was a great word and I think we are embracing it and you're seeing the results out on the floor."  - junior Brad McCabe on how the team has gotten better
 
"I feel like there is always room for improvement in any part of my game. I could finish more, or I could shoot a better percentage from the field.  it just comes from the work, watching film and trusting in my teammates." – Giles on getting back into action and things he can work on the rest of the season  
 
FLASH MOMENTS
Saint Francis first took a 10-point lead earlier in the first half thanks to eight unanswered points to extend a 19-17 edge to 27-17 with 5:14 on the clock. The Loretto team received two points apiece from Ronell Giles, Jr. (Brandywine, Md.), Cohen, Land and McCabe in this span to account for 8-0 run.
 
Holding a 50-40 lead in the second half, Saint Francis went on a 23-7 run to take a 70-47 advantage with 9:48 remaining. Moore had 11 of his 22 points in this stretch, while the team was 5-for-5 from long distance in this three minute and 32 second spurt.

FLASH NUGGETS
Land notched his second 20-point performance this season after notching a career-high 26 points against Hartford in Loretto on November 12. The junior now has six 20-point games to his credit, including a pair of 20-point games against the Red Flash's next opponent Sacred Heart. Land also added eight rebounds, three assists and steals. It is the fourth time this season he has hauled in at least eight caroms.
 
Moore registered his best performance at DeGol Arena with 22 points after tallying 20 points against CCSU on December 29. It is the freshman's third 20-point game in the last six games after posting a career-best 25 points at Miami on December 17. It is the 18th time under Krimmel a freshman has posted a 20-point game and the 22 points are the fifth most by freshman in his 11 campaigns. The freshman is also the third Red Flash rookie to have three 20-point games in a season.
 
McCabe recorded a season-high 13 points along with his season best in rebounds. It was the fourth time he has posted double figures this season and eighth time in his career.
 
Giles, who was injured in the first meeting against LIU last season that ended his season, rejoined the starting lineup for the first time since the season opener at St. Bonaventure on November 9. The junior notched a season high with 32 minutes and posted seven points, five rebounds, four rebounds and two steals on the afternoon. 
 
Saint Francis came into the game 3-0 for the third time in team history, but the 2002-03 team lost its fourth game. The 1990-91 squad won the first six games of the season en route to the program's only NEC title.
 
The Red Flash finished the game over 44.0 percent from 3-point land for the fourth-straight game, going 11-for-22 from behind the arc.
 
NEXT TIME OUT
Saint Francis heads to Sacred Heart on Monday. Game time is 2 p.m.