WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Yanessa Boyd scored the go-ahead basket after a steal with 89 seconds left and Ineivi Plata made two free throws to help seal a 51-47 win against Wagner in non-conference women's basketball action on Monday night.
>> Plata finished a career-high 13 points and stuffed the stat sheet with five rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and a steal.
>> Marissa Shelton also found double figures with 10 points, while Alary Bell hauled in a career-high 13 rebounds in the winning effort. 

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
Despite holding a 10-point lead at halftime, the Red Flash had to rally in the game's final two minutes to earn its third-straight win and improve to 4-2 in NEC play.

Trailing 47-45 after a Seahawks basket with 2:12 left, Shelton tied the game on two free throws with 1:42 on the clock. The defense then came up big with the steal that led to Boyd's fastbreak layup for what proved to be the deciding basket with 1:29 remaining. 

Wagner then had two missed shot attempts before Plata registered her lone steal of the night in the game's waning seconds. The freshman then made 1 of 2 at the free throw line with 2.5 seconds left. The Seahawks tried to throw the pass to the offensive end, but the ball went out of bounds. After being fouled before the inbound play, Plata sealed the win with a charity toss.

FLASH QUOTES
"We're really happy because we maintain this homestand with some pretty good victories. But most importantly, we've had different people step up each game, and that's what I'm most proud of because it doesn't fall on anyone. I am proud of the team effort that we had today and of all the little things that the team put on their back and took care of business today." – head coach Keila Whittington on the game

"Ineivi's line says four offensive rebounds, then her line says three block shots, and we only have three for the game. That says heart, desire, and effort; she's our glue right now. She has a knack for just knowing and understanding what she can do. We can't ask for anything more than what she's doing. It's just all the little things that she does that makes us better." – Whittington on the play of Ineivi Plata

"We just understood the defensive assignment. We took it to heart that we wouldn't let them score. We needed that stop. And the way everyone was playing defense, it led to the steal and the bucket." – Yanessa Boyd on the steal and layup to put Saint Francis up for good

"I am doing whatever we need to do to win, and we're winning, so that's all that matters. Keep being hungry and don't settle." – Boyd on the winning streak

"Staying focused, keep fighting and doing those little things that we need to do in order to get the win." – Ineivi Plata on what it takes for this team to continue to be successful

"I'm feeling good. I'm trying to find my spot and do what I need to do to help my team win." – Alary Bell on her play

"First and foremost, we're going to be on the road, so you need an extra bit of toughness when you go play on the road. We'll take it one day, game at a time." – Whittington on playing LIU and Wagner on the road next weekend

FLASH MOMENTS
Holding an 8-6 edge, Saint Francis went on an 8-3 run to extend its lead to 16-9 with 1:34 left in the opening quarter. Jade Campbell, Harris Robinson, Plata, and Bell each had a basket in the two-minute spurt. 

The Red Flash pushed its lead to 10 points twice in the second quarter after a Natalie Johnson jumper at 5:55 left, and Boyd handed the Loretto team a 30-20 advantage going into the locker room with a free throw with 51 seconds left in the frame. 

The Seahawks then mounted a comeback and took a 45-41 lead with 6:49 left in the fourth quarter. Shelton beat the shot clock for a 3-pointer with 5:37 left, and Bell made the backend of two free throws with 3:05 remaining to square the tilt at 45. 

Wagner took the lead for the final time with 2:12 left to set up Shelton, Boyd, and Plata, scoring the final six points of the night to secure the victory. 

FLASH NUGGETS
Plata came into the night with a career-high nine points at Coppin State on November 12, and the most points she scored in a game at DeGol Arena was four against NJIT in the season opener on November 4. She finished the game 3-for-5, shooting from the floor and 7 of 10 from the free throw line. The 5-3 freshman added five rebounds (four offensive boards), and her three blocks tied Gisele Eke for the most in a single game in 2024-25. The 6-3 Eke had three rejections against NJIT. Plata had 17 assists, 16 rebounds, six steals, and 23 points in the four-game homestand. 

Shelton had double figures in points in all four games during the homestand and averaged 12.5 points per game in that stretch. The junior had never had double figures in more than two straight games coming into the homestand and has posted seven of her eight 10-point games at DeGol Arena. She has five double-figure point games in her last eight tilts.

Bell became the second player this season to reach double figures in rebounds with her career-high 13 boards. The freshman had a then career-high seven caroms against Le Moyne on January 11 and reached that total after the first quarter on Monday. She has registered at least six boards in the four-game homestand and averaged 8.0 rebounds per game in that span.

Johnson finished the game with nine points, while Boyd had five points, four rebounds, an assist, and a steal.

Saint Francis is off to its best start since the 2020-21 season when the Red Flash won its first nine NEC games. This is the fifth time the team has started 4-2 in the circuit.

This is the sixth time the team has had a four-game homestand and the fourth time it has gone 3-1 in the four-game stretch, joining the 2004-05, 2010-11, and 2019-20 teams. The team will have a unique chance at another four-game homestand after returning from the impending three-game road trip.

It is the team's first three-game winning streak since winning four consecutive games from January 23 to February 8, 2022. The last time Saint Francis won three straight at home, it included a victory against Bryant on Martin Luther King Day.

Saint Francis defeated Wagner for the second time on Martin Luther King Day after a 61-55 win against the Seahawks on January 19, 2009, at DeGol Arena. The Red Flash improved to 6-5 at home on MLK Day. It was also the third time the team has played on Inauguration Day, but the first time the squad has won after falling to Mount St. Mary's in 2001 (George W. Bush) and to Quinnipiac in 2013 (Barack Obama). All three games were 12 years apart and played in Loretto.

NEXT UP FOR FLASH
After beating LIU and Wagner at home, Saint Francis completes the season series against the two teams in New York, starting at LIU on Thursday. Game time is 7 p.m.