Parker hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 56 with 61 seconds on the clock, but the Lakers scored in the lane with 31.7 seconds left to take the lead it would not relinquish.
had a 3-pointer from the corner hit the back part of the rim, and Mercyhurst came down with the rebound and made the ensuing two free throws. Kelly went coast-to-coast for a layup with 1.9 seconds left to trim the margin to 60-58 but could get no closer.Â
After Pinedo gave the Red Flash a 45-44 lead with 7:37 left, the Frankies went three minutes and 44 seconds without a field goal. The Lakers went on a 7-2 run in that spurt, with Pinedo making two charity tosses during the drought. Saint Francis also missed five straight free throws before the Red Flash retook the lead on Pinedo's layup.Â
FLASH MOMENTS
In the first half, Saint Francis scored five unanswered points to take a 5-4 edge with 17:18 left in the first half. Pinedo scored off the glass, and
Jeremy Clayville drained a 3-pointer in the spurt.
The Red Flash grabbed the edge again at 13-12 with 12:12 on the clock, thanks to a 6-2 run sparked by triples by Parker and Kelly.
Kelly scored seven of the final 12 points in the final two minutes and 29 seconds of the first half. The junior registered a four-point play for Saint Francis for the second-straight game with 2:29 left in the first half. Parker had a four-point play against Wagner on January 25. Kelly then ended the scoring in the opening period with his third 3-pointer of the half with 69 seconds left.
The Frankies continue to feed off of Kelly's run to end the first half to go on a 16-8 run to start the final frame. Parker, Pinedo, and
Miles Webb each had four points in the spurt, with Webb giving the Red Flash a 39-37 lead with 12:11 left.
FLASH NUGGETS
Kelly has three 10-point games in his career, all three in his home state of Pennsylvania. The junior posted 10 points at Penn State on November 12 and 11 points against LIU on January 24 before his career-high performance on Thursday. Kelly finished 5-for-8 from the floor, 3 of 6 from behind the arc, and 1 of 2 from the free throw line. He has posted eight points or more in his last six games with two double-figure point performances and is averaging 9.8 points per game in that stretch and 11.3 points per game in his last three.Â
Parker has posted double figures in four straight games and has 10+ points in 14 of his last 18 tilts. The junior looks to notch his third streak of five games in double figures for points against Le Moyne on February 6. Parker averaged 16.6 points per game in his first two five-game streaks, while he is averaging 18.8 points per game in his current four-game streak. The seven rebounds tie his career high he set at Campbell on November 10 and at home against Radford on December 1.
Pinedo has also registered double figures in points in his last four tilts, averaging 11.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in this stretch with precisely 12 points in three of the four contests. Pinedo also had a five-game streak of 10+ points with a career-high 18 points against Mercyhurst on January 10, ending the run.
Wisler Sanon II made his first basket in the first half, a three-point, in 2024-25 after missing part of last season and the first 19 games this year due to an injury.Â
The Saint Francis coaching staff joined the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) fight to raise awareness for the battle against cancer with Coaches Vs. Cancer: Sneakers and Suits Week by wearing sneakers with its suits for the game in Erie.
The last time Saint Francis played at Mercyhurst was November 28, 1983, which was Kevin Porter's first road game as head coach of the Red Flash. Saint Francis will return home on February 6 to host Kevin Porter Night.
The Red Flash will have a week off before playing again due to the team's first of two byes this season in league play on Saturday.
NEXT ON TAP
Saint Francis returns home to host Le Moyne on February 6. Tip-off is 7 p.m. In addition to Kevin Porter Night, the night will be Altoona Curve Season Ticket Appreciation Night.
