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LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University women's basketball is set to face Merrimack at home on Thursday, Feb. 22 for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
 
Saint Francis Quick Hits
Kendall Carruthers earned her fifth Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week honor behind a career-high 32 points in a 76-60 win over Wagner. Her performance led Saint Francis to its most points in a game since March 4, 2021. She ranks fourth in the NEC with 13.9 points per game overall this season and is the only freshman in the top 20. Her 17.0 points during conference play rank third. Kameryn Dorsey leads NEC freshmen with a conference fourth-best 3.2 assists per game overall and she is second with 4.3 per game in conference play. Dorsey has six games this season with at least five assists and recorded a career-high 12 at Wagner last week. Marina Artero sits atop the program with 5.4 rebounds per game, followed by Julianna Gibson's 5.1. Harris Robinson, however, has paced the Red Flash with 7.5 rebounds per game over the last six contests.
 
Last Time Out
Saint Francis took a 68-48 loss to FDU at home. Both programs were tied at seven with 3:59 remaining in the first quarter before a 7-0 FDU run saw the Knights lead 14-7 after one. FDU opened a 22-13 lead with 4:28 remaining in the half and ended on a 16-0 run to lead 38-13 at halftime. The teams each scored 17 points in the third quarter and saw FDU lead 55-30. Saint Francis took an 18-13 advantage in the fourth quarter before FDU sealed its victory.
 
Scouting Merrimack
The Warriors enter Thursday's game fourth in the NEC with a 7-5 record and have won four of the last five games. Merrimack is 7-2 in its last nine games after starting 0-3 in conference play. Kaylee Thomas ranks sixth in the NEC with 14.8 points per game during conference play and Jayme DeCesare adds 12.0. Amaya Staton is fifth overall with 6.7 rebounds per game and she adds 10.9 points. DeCesare's 3.0 assists per game rank fifth in the NEC. As a team, Merrimack is second in the conference with 58.8 points per game and allows the third-fewest points with 61.8 per game against.  
 
All-Time vs. Merrimack
Merrimack holds a 6-3 advantage over Saint Francis since its reclassification to NCAA Division I ahead of the 2019-20 season. Merrimack took the first meeting 71-56 before Saint Francis won three in a row. Merrimack has won the last five meetings, which included a 71-48 victory this season on Jan. 27.
 
Around the NEC
Sacred Heart (10-1) continues to sit atop the NEC standings after a 79-55 victory over Wagner (3-8). Le Moyne (10-2) stays in the battle for first place after a 55-44 win over Stonehill (3-9). FDU (8-3) took a 68-48 victory over Saint Francis (4-8) to remain third in the conference, while Merrimack (7-5) remains fourth after a narrow 61-59 win over LIU (3-9). On Thursday, Merrimack visits Saint Francis, Wagner visits Central Connecticut, Sacred Heart visits FDU and LIU visits Le Moyne.
 
Next
Saint Francis has its final home game of the 2023-24 season on Saturday, Feb. 24 for a 4 p.m. tip-off on ESPN+. The Red Flash will honor Kaitlyn Maxwell during pregame for Senior Day.