Saint Francis University Athletics

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Saint Francis made its 2025-26 DeGol Arena debut against a familiar foe in Mount St. Mary's. The Red Flash drops the game against Mount 74-66.
>>  Zion Russell registered a career-high 23 points, while Skylar Wicks added his first double-double in a Saint Francis uniform with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
With Saint Francis holding a 16-10 lead, a name known in these parts sparked the Mountaineers into a lead they would not relinquish. Patrick Haigh, whose father was the Red Flash women's basketball head coach at one time, had three 3-pointers to fuel a 20-7 run. Saint Francis trimmed the margin to four points twice in the second half, but could get no closer.

FLASH QUOTES
"We are taking steps every time we play and getting better. As a competitor, it's tough, but as a coach, you have to understand the progress. We will keep pushing and coaching these guys to get better." - head coach Luke McConnell on the growth of the team 

FLASH MOMENTS 
The Red Flash jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the first three minutes and 11 seconds of the game. Russell had six of the eight points, while Harrison added a basket. The two teams traded 3-balls with Wicks knocking down one to restore a six-point lead with 16:01 on the clock before the Mount run. 

Mount St. Mary's held a 43-32 lead with 49 seconds left in the opening frame before the Frankies answered with an 11-4 spurt to trim the margin to 47-43 with 16:32 remaining. Five different players registered points in the run. Wicks, who made it a four-point game with a basket, cut the margin to four points again with 15:39 on the clock.  

With Mount St. Mary's holding a 57-48 margin, Saint Francis went on a 7-2 run to make it a 59-55 deficit with 8:05 remaining. Cam Tweedy hit back-to-back jumpers to start the surge.

FLASH NUGGETS
Russell registered his first career 20-point game in his DeGol Arena debut. The graduate student, who had a then-career-high 15 points against Oklahoma on November 3, averaged 12.5 points per game last season with Niagara against Mount St. Mary's, including 14 points, which was his previous high before Oklahoma. Russell has 15 career 10+ points games.

Wicks averaged 19.0 points per game in his first two games, including 20 points at Oklahoma in the season opener. The redshirt senior recorded 15 points and 13 rebounds for his seventh career double-double and his first since tallying 19 points and 11 rebounds against Lamar on February 12, 2024. It was also his 26th double-figure point performance.

Wicks and Russell both started their third game of the season, while Tweedy, Harrison and Ralph Martino, Jr. each made their first start of the season. 

Saint Francis head coach Luke McConnell made his DeGol Arena head coaching debut after sitting on the sideline for the last 12 years as an assistant coach. 

Saint Francis, the 1991 and 2025 NEC Tournament Champions, played its first home game in the season after winning the title against a team named Mount St. Mary. In 1991-92, the Red Flash started the year at home against Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh, New York, while in 2025-26 the team played Mount St. Mary's from Emmitsburg, Maryland. Both teams were in the NCAA First Four last season. 

NEXT ON TAP
The Red Flash returns to action at Lehigh on November 18. Game time is 7 p.m. Read Full Article