WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> A valiant second-half comeback attempt fell short for Saint Francis in a 72-63 loss at Stonehill in Northeast Conference (NEC) men's basketball action on Saturday.
>> For the second-straight game, sophomore Gestin Liberis (Havertown, Pa.) paced the Red Flash with 12 points and seven rebounds.
>> Carlos Lopez, Jr. (Egg Harbor, N.J.) and Aaron "Ace" Talbert (Wyandanch, N.Y.) added 10 points and three assists.
>> Bobby Rosenberger III (Quakertown, Pa.) notched a career-high 10 rebounds, while Eli Wilborn (Middletown, Conn.) also had double figures in rebounds with a team-best 11 boards. Wilborn finished the contest with eight points, while Rosenberger posted seven points.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
Stonehill grabbed the lead from the jump and took as large as a 50-25 lead with 15:12 left. A 29-11 run by the Red Flash trimmed the margin to 61-54 with 3:40 on the clock. Saint Francis cut it six points in the final 10 seconds, but could get no closer.

FLASH MOMENTS
Fueled by seven points by Miles Webb (Arlington, Va.), Liberis and Lopez also had six points each in the 29-11 run.

With 1:05 left and trailing 67-57, the Frankies scored six of the following nine points to trim the margin to 69-63 with nine ticks on the clock thanks to a triple by Talbert and Lopez. Stonehill made three of four at the line to seal the win and end the game with the identical score of the meeting in Loretto after each team won on its home floor.

FLASH NUGGETS
Liberis registered consecutive double-figure point games for the second time in his career. After posting an NEC career-high 14 points and 10 rebounds against Merrimack on Thursday, the sophomore averaged 13.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in the New England swing. He shot 61.1 percent in the two contests from the floor and made all four foul shots, adding four blocks, an assist, and a steal. He has five games with 10+ points this season and six for his career, including three games in league play.

Talbert has posted exactly 10 points in each of his last three games. The freshman strung together four straight games in double figures earlier this season and has 11 games in double digits in points this season. He averages 10.6 points per game in his last five tilts and has dished out at least three assists seven times in his freshman campaign. 

Lopez has recorded double figures in points in five of his last six games away from DeGol Arena and has double figures in points 11 times this season. It is the fifth time he has three helpers in a game this season.

Rosenberger twice has finished a game in double figures in points and narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with nine rebounds. In the contest against Stonehill, the freshman notched his first 10 rebound game of his career and finished with seven points. It was the eighth time he has hauled in at least seven boards in a game this season.

Wilborn notched his 10th game in double figures in rebounds and just missed his NEC-leading ninth double-double by two points. It was also the 11th time this season the freshman has turned away three shots in a game. 

Aidan Harris (Annapolis, Md.) added nine points to reach that total for the second time in league play on the road this season. He also had nine points at Le Moyne on January 21. The freshman has reached double figures in points once in his career against Pitt Greensburg on November 20.

NEXT UP
Saint Francis wraps up the regular season at home against Le Moyne on Saturday, March 2. Game time is 4 p.m. The Red Flash and Stonehill are fighting for the last playoff spot. The Skyhawks play at home against Sacred Heart on Thursday and at CCSU on March 2. The game against CCSU tips three hours before the tip in Loretto, so Saint Francis will know what is at stake before it plays its next contest.

The Red Flash can clinch a postseason berth with two Stonehill losses or a Stonehill loss and a Saint Francis win against Le Moyne. If Stonehill wins its last two games, it eliminates the Frankies before they play the season finale against the Dolphins because the Skyhawks would own the best win to earn the tiebreaker. Other scenarios could come into play, but these are the most straightforward paths to explain.