will tell you that the team sets out to win every game but wants this team to continue to make progress to be ready for the conference season and a run in the postseason in March.
>> The Red Flash lost 82-65 at Georgetown on Saturday in non-conference men's basketball action, but the squad held the lead in both the first and second half and won the rebound battle by five. That's progress.
paced Saint Francis with 20 points. It was a new career high for Parker and the third time Rosenberger reached the total in his career and the first time on the road.
TURNING POINTS OF THE GAME
A 21-12 run in the second half gave the Frankies a 57-56 lead with 8:50 on the clock. The Hoyas then pulled away with a 15-1 run to earn the first meeting between the two teams since Allen Iverson's final season in a Hoyas' uniform.
FLASH QUOTES
"So much of the game of college basketball progress is measured in wins, but there are some things and losses that you can take from it. I'm pleased with the 40 minutes; I thought we competed and followed the game plan. We out-rebounded them, and we've been challenging our guys to be able to do those things over 40 minutes. In games like this, I always tell our guys to put us in a position at the under-four media timeout. Give Georgetown credit. Down the stretch, they pressured us a little bit, and some turnovers led to some untimely layups, but they got some momentum rolling downhill. But I thought that in our first half, aside from digging ourselves a bad hole, we responded, came back, and took the lead in the second half. That certainly something to build on."
– head coach Rob Krimmel on the game
"We have to stay hungry. This group has some fire in its belly, and we can compete and bring that out consistently. I like our chances."
– Krimmel on his team and chances
"Six games into the season, we have demonstrated a unique ability to dig ourselves in deep holes and find a way to get back out of it. I told our guys to leave the shovels at home and give ourselves a chance. It's a resilient group. If nothing else, they won't hang our heads early in the year. Basketball is a game of runs, but they won't let a run determine the outcome. We must get off to some better starts."
– Krimmel on starting the game
"If we don't play well in our conference for three games in March, the ultimate goal isn't going to be there. So our job is to peak at the right time. We want to win every game. We also have to have a perspective that we're getting ready for January, February, and March. Everybody in the country is, but for us, our league is a one-bid league. We have to do a great job of, as coaches, keeping these guys level-headed with a clear mind and a clean heart."
– Krimmel on the ultimate goal
FLASH MOMENTS
After Georgetown grabbed a 44-36 lead with 18:51 left in the second half, Saint Francis went on a 21-10 run to take its final lead at 57-56. Parker was the catalyst for the run with nine points, including the last two baskets, to hand the Red Flash a one-point edge.
One thing guaranteed this season is a slow start by the Red Flash. The squad started the game 2-for-11 and fell behind Georgetown 19-4 in the first six minutes. This team is resilient and finds a way to dig itself back into the game, and Saint Francis did it again on Saturday thanks to a 32-14 run to grab a 36-33 lead with 1:14 left in the first half.Â
It was the Parker and Rosenberger show during this run. Parker started the run with eight points before Rosenberger took over late with 15 points. Parker gave the Red Flash a 34-33 lead on a layup at 1:50, while Rosenberger made two free throws to give Saint Francis its largest lead. Rosenberger started the game 0-for-4, but then, at one point in the run, made 5 of 6 shot attempts.
FLASH NUGGETS
Parker and Rosenberger become the eighth and ninth players to register a 20-point game against a Power 5 opponent under Krimmel and the first since Josh Cohen (30 points) and Landon Moore (25 points) turned the trick against No. 25 Miami on December 17, 2022. The tilts against Georgetown and Miami are the only two times under Krimmel that two players had 20 points in the same game against a Power 5 team.
Saint Francis had two players score 20 points in the same game for the first time since Rosenberger had a career-high 22 points, and
Ace Talbert scored 21 points against Stonehill on February 10, 2024.
Parker is averaging 15.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in his last two games after posting a career-high 11 points and seven assists against Penn State Schuylkill on Tuesday. Rosenberger has registered double figures in every game he has played over 20 minutes and notched his second standout performance against a Power 5 team after scoring 19 points against Penn State last season.Â
Valentino Pinedo became the first player under Krimmel to register two 10-rebound games against Power 5 opponents. The junior posted 11 points and 12 rebounds at Penn State on November 12. The junior added four points, three assists, and two steals.
Daemar Kelly also stuffed the stat sheet with seven points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals against the Hoyas.Â
In many ways, the first half against Georgetown was similar to the one the Red Flash had against Penn State. Yogi Berra might have said that "it was déjà vu all over again" because Saint Francis struggled out of the gate and regrouped to take the lead before the Power 5 opponent took the lead going into the locker room. The first half was eerily similar, but Saint Francis took the lead in the second half on Saturday, unlike against the Nittany Lions.
NEXT ON TAP
On Tuesday, Saint Francis returns to action when the team starts a three-game homestand. Lehigh is the first team to come to town with a 7 p.m. tip.Â
