Saint Francis University (5-8) at Robert Morris (7-5)
Date | Time	Saturday, December 21, 2024 | 1 p.m.
Location	Moon Township, Pa. | UPMC Events Center
Television	ESPN+
Live Stats	Sidearm
Printable Notes	Saint Francis | Robert Morris
Stats	Saint Francis | Robert Morris | Northeast Conference
Social Media	@RedFlashMBB  | #BELIEVE | @RedFlashMBB | Facebook

 

Saint Francis Probable Starters
Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	PPG	RPG	FG%	Note
F	3	Miles Webb	6-8	190	Jr.	7.1	4.3	60.3	Averaging 11.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg in last 2 road games
G	4	Juan Cranford, Jr.	6-3	205	Fr.	9.1	2.8	50.6	Shooting 60.8 percent from floor in last five
G	5	Daemar Kelly	6-5	195	So.	6.4	2.6	39.8	Playing first collegiate game near hometown
G	11	Riley Parker	6-2	195	Jr.	9.7	3.6	44.7	Averaging 11.0 ppg in last three road tilts
G	14	Bobby Rosenberger III	6-5	205	So.	12.4	4.8	45.6	Averaging 10.6 ppg at home this year
Top Players Off the Bench
Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	PPG	RPG	FG%	Note
G	0	Chris Moncrief	6-6	190	Jr.	3.8	2.4	47.5	Playing first collegiate game near his hometown
G	2	Ace Talbert	6-0	185	So.	10.2	2.8	35.4	Averaging 12.8 ppg in last four games played
G	7	Jeremy Clayville	6-0	160	Fr.	9.7	2.2	43.8	10+ points in last three games
G	15	Victor Payne	6-4	190	Fr.	2.7	1.7	40.0	6 points, 3 rebounds vs. Franciscan
F	21	Gestin Liberis	6-9	225	Jr.	---	---	---	Averaged 11.0 ppg and 7.7 rpg in last four games played
G	23	Wisler Sanon II	6-4	190	Jr.	---	---	---	Averaging 10.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg in last two games played
F	31	Valentino Pinedo	6-8	230	Jr.	7.8	6.3	52.9	14 points, 5 rebounds in home debut on Thursday
F	32	Aidan Harris	6-7	205	So.	2.7	1.7	40.0	Season-high seven points vs. Lehigh

SELECT GAME NOTES VS. ROBERT MORRIS (FULL GAME NOTES PDF)

FRANKIES TIDBITS IN A FLASH
• In Home Alone 2, Kate McCallister says, "It's becoming sort of a McCallister family travel tradition." "Funnily enough, we... never lose our luggage," Peter McAllister quips.
• Saint Francis playing Robert Morris as its final game before Christmas has become a Red Flash family tradition with the fourth-straight year the two teams will play right before Christmas and the only four meetings since the Colonials left the Northeast Conference for the Horizon League.
• The Frankies are looking to end a five-game losing streak to Robert Morris. Before the Colonials' five-game streak, Saint Francis had won 10 of the last 11 meetings in the series, including nine in a row from 2016-20.
• This will be the 93rd meeting in the all-time series between the two teams dating back to the 1977-78 season, but just the ninth non-conference regular-season meeting between the two teams.
• In non-conference regular season games, the series is tied at four games apiece. The Red Flash won four of the first five meetings in the matchup before both teams joined the ECAC Metro (now known as the NEC).
• The Colonials hold a 54-38 advantage in the all-time series, including a 25-17 edge in Moon Township. Robert Morris has won all three meetings in the UPMC Events Center, including the 2020 Northeast Conference Championship Game. The Frankies had won the last four meetings in Moon Township before the Events Center opened.
• Saint Francis is 5-9 all-time against the Horizon League and 2-4 on the road. The Red Flash won against Xavier in the Horizon League in 1993-94, and the team is 4-6 against Youngstown State. Saint Francis is looking for its first win against the conference since defeating Youngstown State 66-65 on November 29, 2009 on the road.
• For the second time this season, Saint Francis will play four games in nine days or less. The Red Flash ended a five-game road trip to start the year at Clemson (November 8), Campbell (November 10), Penn State (November 12), and Mount St. Mary's (November 16). This time, the squad traveled to Niagara (December 14), Maryland (December 17), and Robert Morris (December 21) and hosted Franciscan (December 19).
• It is the sixth time under Krimmel the Red Flash will have four games in 10 days or less. It will be the second consecutive season the squad will turn the trick twice after the team started the 2023-24 season with four road games in a nine-game span and then had four games from November 20-29 last season. The team also had four games in 10 days in 2022-23 and 2014-15.
• The interesting wrinkle in this portion of the schedule is that the Frankies had 10 days off before its tilt with Niagara and then will have 13 days off after the game versus Robert Morris over the Christmas/New Year break to get ready for NEC play on January 3 at home against CCSU.

AN SFU WIN WOULD
• End a five-game losing streak against Robert Morris
• Be the team's first win at the UPMC Events Center
• Improve to 4-1 against teams from the Keystone State
• End the non-conference slate with a win for the second-straight season and the fourth time under head coach Rob Krimmel (would be the second time the team won its last game on the road)
• Be the team's second road win on the year

ABOUT THE COLONIALS
• Robert Morris comes into the contest 7-5 after defeating Towson 68-67 on Tuesday. Kam Woods hit a jumper with 16 seconds left, and the Colonials defense recorded a defensive rebound and a steal in the waning seconds to hold on for the victory.
• Amarion Dickerson paced the Colonials with 18 points against the Tigers. Josh Omojafo (15 points) and Woods (12 points) also posted double figures in the win. 
• Alvaro Folgueiras leads the team and is averaging a double-double with 11.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Woods is not far behind with 11.6 points per game, while Omojafo (11.1 ppg.) and Dickerson (10.8 ppg.) also averages double figures. 

LAST TIME WE MET
• Robert Morris defeated Saint Francis 75-73 on December 20, 2023 in Loretto.
• Cam Gregory (16 points), Eli Wilborn (15 points), Bobby Rosenberger III (13 points), Carlos Lopez, Jr. (13 points), and Ace Talbert (12 points) all registered double figures for the Red Flash.
• Justice Williams scored 20 points for the Colonials, while Markese Hastings (19 points) and Josh Corbin (13 points) also had 10+ points.
• Williams hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left for the game-winning basket and cap an 18-point rally for the win. The 18-point comebacktied for the biggest comeback against Saint Francis in the last 12 years.

LAST TIME OUT
• Saint Francis defeated Franciscan 104-47 on Thursday in the final non-conference home game.
• Junior Valentino Pinedo paced the Red Flash with 14 points and five rebounds. Freshman Jeremy Clayville (13 points, seven assists), freshman Juan Cranford, Jr. (13 points, six rebounds), and sophomore Bobby Rosenberger III (13 points) also had double figures.


TRENDING UP
• Saint Francis has played five games at DeGol Arena this season, but the game against Franciscan on December 19 was the first home game for junior Valentino Pinedo. Pinedo showed the Red Flash faithful what he could do with his third double-figure point performance with 14 points for his third 10+ point game of the year and first since he had a career-high 15 points at Campbell on November 10 and 11 points at Penn State on November 12. It was also his sixth game, in which he played more than 10 minutes and grabbed at least five boards in a game.
• Freshman Juan Cranford, Jr. has started the last eight games and has recorded double figures in his previous six tilts. He is shooting 60.8 percent (28-for-46) from the floor in his last five games and 60.0 percent (9-for-15) from behind the arc in his previous three games. During his six-game 10+ point streak, the freshman has also connected on all 12 free throw attempts. He is the first freshman since Landon Moore to register 10+ points in six-straight games and is also the last player to register double figures in six of his first eight starts for the only two players to accomplish that feat under head coach Rob Krimmel. If you are curious about Keith Braxton, he had 10+ points in seven of his first nine starts.
• Freshman Jeremy Clayville has recorded 10+ points in three straight games for the first time in his career. He started his collegiate career with consecutive double-figure point performances and is averaging 10.7 points per game in his last four games.
• Sophomore Bobby Rosenberger III added 13 points against Franciscan to notch his first 10+ point game since the 10-day layup. Rosenberger, who leads the team with 10 games in double figures this season, was 3-for-18 from the floor and 1-for-11 from behind the arc at Niagara on December 14 and at Maryland on December 17.
• The last two games marked the first time since the 1971-72 season that the Red Flash allowed 100 points and scored 100 points in consecutive games. It was the eighth time in program history this has occurred, but the previous seven times took place between 1963-72. It would be a rare feat, especially against Robert Morris, to notch a third game with a team reaching 100 points since in the long rivalry, only the Colonials in 1982-83 scored 100 points for the only team to do it in the series. If a team reaches 100 points on Saturday, it would be the fifth time it has happened in Frankies' history, joining the 1964-65, 1966-67, 1968-69 and 1971-72 teams. If it does happen, Saint Francis hopes it will be like the 1966-67 season when the team won two of three. The 1971-72 team allowed 100 points in three consecutive games and scored 100 points in one of the games, but they lost.
• It will be the third time under Krimmel that the team will not play between the Christmas and New Year's holidays and the eighth time since the 1971-72 season. The Red Flash thoroughly enjoyed the holiday season in 2018-19, winning its second NEC regular season title. It advanced to the NEC title game and turned the trick against in the 2019-20 season, also playing in the title bout.

AGAINST THE KEYSTONE
• Saturday's game against Robert Morris marks the fifth game for the Red Flash against its home state of Pennsylvania this season. The Colonials will be the second road game this season in the Keystone State after playing at Penn State on November 12.
• Saint Francis hosted Penn State Schuylkill (November 20), Lehigh (November 26), and Penn State Shenango (December 4). The Red Flash won all three games at DeGol Arena against teams from the state.
• This season, the Frankies will have a new NEC Keystone State clash with Mercyhurst, moving to Division I ranks. The two teams will meet in Loretto on January 10 and in Erie on January 30.
• Head coach Rob Krimmel is 27-25 against the state of Pennsylvania and 3-1 in 2024-25. Lehigh is the most-played no-conference team under Krimmel, with the 12 meeting against the Mountain Hawks. Robert Morris is the most played team for Krimmel from the Keystone State, but this season will be only the fourth non-conference tilt between the two old Northeast Conference foes.
• Saint Francis has played the most games against teams from the western part of the state in program history. The Red Flash has tangled with Robert Morris the most in the state, with 92 meetings. Duquesne has been on the squad 75 times, Saint Vincent 65 times, Westminster 43 times, Geneva 39 times, and Pittsburgh 30 times.

ON THIS DATE
• Saint Francis is 6-10 on this date, including 4-8 on the road
• The last time the Red Flash won on this date away from Loretto was a 66-62 win at VMI in 2003. Darshan Luckey paced Saint Francis with 21 points, while Jason Osborne registered a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
• It will be the second time the Frankies will tangle against Robert Morris on this date after the Colonials defeated Saint Francis 77-66 in 2022.
FUN FACT: It will be the fifth game on this date in Western Pennsylvania. The Red Flash played at Waynesburg (1968), at Pittsburgh (1974), at Duquesne (2007) and at Robert Morris (2022). The squad defeated Waynesburg 83-52 and lost in the next three games in Western Pennsylvania.It is also the eighth game against a team from the Keystone State on this date. Along with its win at Waynesburg, the Red Flash defeated Lehigh at home 84-70 in 2018.