With the score tied at 40, a Blue Devil player was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three charity tosses to give the preseason co-favorite the lead for good with 18:09 left in the game.Â
The Blue Devils then closed the game on a 21-9 run in the final 12 minutes to pull away.
"We just lost our focus. We played really well in the first half. There was a spurt there in the second half that we just didn't play very well offensively and defensively. Our challenge now, as we prepare for Sunday, is to put 40 minutes of basketball together because in our last two games, Robert Morris and now Central Connecticut, we played well for 20 minutes, but unfortunately, it's a 40-minute game."
FLASH MOMENTS
The first half was a classic seesaw affair.
After CCSU jumped out to a 10-2 edge with 18:19 left in the opening half, the Frankies used a 12-4 run to tie the game at 14 with 13:48 on the clock. Four of the five starters got into the act to record a basket led by four points by
Bobby Rosenberger III.
Trailing 20-14, Saint Francis scored nine of the next 11 points to take its largest lead at 25-22 with 8:42 remaining in the first half.
Miles Webb powered the run with five points, while Pinedo made the first free throw with 8:42 left to give the team the three-point edge.
CCSU grabbed a 30-27 lead before the Red Flash posted nine of the following 14 points to hold the lead for the final time.
Jeremy Clayville had five points in the surge, while
Juan Cranford, Jr. gave the Frankies the lead for the final time on a jumper with 96 seconds on the clock for a 36-35 edge. The two teams went into halftime, tied at 38.
FLASH NUGGETS
Pinedo has registered double figures and at least five rebounds in his last three games, averaging 13.3 points and 6.0 points per game in that stretch. The junior made his first start since returning four games ago at Maryland on December 17. He now has five 10+ point games this season, eight games with five or more rebounds, and four games with over eight caroms.
Parker notched his second consecutive double-figure game after registering 21 points at Robert Morris on December 21 in the final game before the holiday break. The junior is averaging 14.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in his last three tilts. Parker has seven 10+ point games in his previous 10 games.
Clayville, Cranford, and Rosenberger all finished with eight points. Rosenberger also had six boards. Cranford had scored double figures in seven straight games before it ended on Friday. The freshman was the NEC Rookie of the Week in the last week of games for Saint Francis after shooting 80.0 percent from the floor in the three games before Christmas.
Saint Francis is now 20-24 in the NEC opener, including 15-7 at DeGol Arena. It was the fourth time the Red Flash played CCSU in the league opener and the first time the Blue Devils were victorious in those games in Loretto.Â
January 3 marks a special day for head coach
Rob Krimmel. He won his first game as a head coach on this date against CCSU in Loretto in 2013. The two teams also met on this date in 1998 in Loretto for the Blue Devils' first NEC contest.
It marks the fourth time the Frankies have opened the NEC slate against the preseason favorite after also facing the preseason top dog in 2016-17 (FDU), 2021-22 (Wagner) and 2023-24 (Sacred Heart). The matchups against the Seahawks and CCSU were both at DeGol Arena. It was also the second time in three years that CCSU and Saint Francis clashed in the NEC opener in Loretto after the two teams met for the inaugural game in 2022-23.
NEXT ON TAP
Saint Francis returns to action on Sunday at home against Stonehill. Game time is 2 p.m. The Skyhawks lost at Mercyhurst 76-69 on Friday, giving the Lakers their first league win in program history.Â
