Trailing 50-40 with 15:58 left, Saint Francis used a 26-14 run to take a two-point lead on Webb's basket with 3:03 left at 66-64. The Red Flash had a chance to increase the lead with two free throws with 1:42 left but missed both charity tosses.
The Purple Eagles went down and made a triple to take a 67-66 lead before Saint Francis went down and missed a 3-pointer of its own, and Niagara came down with the defensive rebound. The Purple Eagles grabbed an offensive rebound after a missed shot from downtown on the ensuing possession with 20 seconds left.Â
With only two fouls called on Saint Francis in the second half, the Red Flash had to foul five times to get Niagara to the foul line. The Purple Eagles made two at the free throw line, and the Red Flash missed a 3-pointer in the game's waning seconds.
FLASH MOMENTS
Cranford registered 10 of his 13 points in the 26-14 run to give the Red Flash the lead in the second half. The freshman tied the game at 62 on a triple at 4:09. Along with scoring the go-ahead basket at the time, Webb had eight points, and
Bobby Rosenberger III added five points in the spurt.
Saint Francis had a good start to the first half and the end of the stanza.Â
The Red Flash started the tilt with the first 10 minutes of play. Four of the five starters posted a bucket during the run with 3-pointers by Cranford and
Daemar Kelly, a layup by Webb, and a jumper by
Riley Parker in the first three minutes and 16 seconds of the game.
After being outscored 30-12 over the next 12 minutes, Saint Francis closed the half on a 12-2 run to take a 34-33 lead at the break. Parker had five points in the run, while Clayville added a couple of baskets that kissed off the glass, and Webb drained a 3-ball.
FLASH NUGGETS
Webb, making his first road start since at Penn State last year, notched his second straight double-double after registering 13 points and 12 rebounds against Penn State Shenango on December 4 for his first career double-double. It is the first time in his career that he has recorded 10+ points in consecutive games. It is the first time a player had a double-double in consecutive games since
Eli Wilborn turned the trick against Sacred Heart (January 4, 2023) and Wagner (January 6, 2023). The 17 points tied a season-high.Â
Cranford recorded his fourth consecutive game in double figures, averaging 12.5 points per game in that stretch. The 13 points are the second most to his career-high 15 points against Radford on December 1. Cranford drained three from downtown for the first time in his career and is shooting 48.5 percent (17-for-35) in his last five games.
Clayville reached double figures for the fourth time this season and the first since he posted a career-high 21 points against Penn State Schuylkill on November 20. The freshman has at least nine points in seven of the 10 games he has played.
Parker finished with nine points and four assists. Kelly had eight points, and Rosenberger recorded all of his seven points in the second half, along with four boards.
It was the second time the Red Flash played a game decided by a possession or less this season. The Frankies defeated Campbell 63-62 on November 8. It was the 55th game under head coach
Rob Krimmel a game was decided by three points or less and the 15th time in non-conference play.
