WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Gestin Liberis and Victor Payne both had career afternoons to power Saint Francis past Franciscan 85-60 in non-conference men's basketball action on Saturday.
>> Liberis registered his third career double-double, second against the Barons and finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
>> For the second-straight game, Payne had 15 points and notched a career best in rebounds (eight), blocks (three) and steals (three).
>> Ahmad Harrison added 12 points and six assists for the Red Flash.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
With the score tied at 11, Saint Francis closed the first half on a 31-17 run to take the lead it would not relinquish. Harrison fueled the run with eight points, while Liberis added seven and Payne had five to help head coach Luke McConnell register his first win as a head coach.

FLASH QUOTES
"I'm happy with the win, and it is something that we can build upon. Defensively, especially inside, was a big key for the game." - head coach Luke McConnell on the win

"I think that Gestin and Victor have played consistently hard in the last two games and have set the standard that needs to be set for this basketball team" - McConnell on the play of Gestin Liberis and Victor Payne

"We really need it. We have been playing hard the last couple of games, but they slipped away. We really needed this win to get us going and set us on the right track." - Gestin Liberis on the win

"I think it is good for us to experience a different type of athleticism, strength, and size, and it helps us prepare for games along the road." - Victor Payne on playing Power 5 teams

FLASH MOMENTS 
The Frankies continued the momentum from the end of the first half with a 16-6 run in the first five minutes and 34 seconds of the second half. Trey Weiand led the way with five points in this spurt to give Saint Francis a 58-32 lead.

With the Red Flash holding a 62-42 lead, the Loretto program went on a 23-10 run, sparked by five points each by Liberis and Payne. Harrison also had three assists on three consecutive scores in the surge. 

FLASH NUGGETS
The last time Liberis played Franciscan was November 22, 2023, since he missed last year's encounter due to an injury. The redshirt junior posted 15 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double two years ago and duplicated that output on Saturday, and added one more to his career-high for points. He also tied his career best with three blocks, a mark he set against Merrimack on February 22, 2024, when he registered his second career double-double. Each of the three times he has reached double figures, he has registered a double-double.

Payne matched the scoring he had against Troy on Wednesday, but he may have taken some extra Thanksgiving stuffing and used it on Saturday with eight rebounds, three steals, three blocks and two assists against the Barons. It was the first time in his career that he reached double figures in consecutive games, and now he has three games with at least five rebounds. He also had three steals against Lehigh on November 18.

Harrison reached double figures for the third time in the last four games and is averaging 11.0 points per game in that stretch. The senior tied his career-high with six assists after he also turned the trick against Cairn on January 25, 2025. He has dished out at least three helpers 24 times in his career.

McConnell notched his first career win as a head coach on the same day that Dave Magarity won his first game with an against St. Michael's (Vt.) in 1978. In addition, McConnell's first win was two years to the date that his mentor, Rob Krimmel, won his 150th game as a head coach with a victory at Lehigh in 2023.

McConnell became the 11th coach to earn his first win in Pennsylvania, joining. Dr. William "Skip" Hughes (Alliance), Dick Conover (Old Dominion), Pete Lonergan (Pitt-Johnstown), Magarity (St. Michael's [Vt.]), Kevin Porter (Loch Haven), Jim Baron (Slippery Rock), Bobby Jones (Morehead State), Don Friday (Bucknell) and Krimmel (CCSU) all won their first game at home, while John Clark won his first game on the road at Duquesne.

McConnell is the second head coach to earn a win against Franciscan. John Hiller won his first road game, 77-70, against Stubenville, a team that changed its name to Franciscan in 1980.

Weiand posted a career-high nine points and five rebounds. Cam Tweedy posted nine points and eight rebounds.

Ryen Gresko notched his first collegiate points on two free throws late in the second half, while Melvin Weaver III hauled in a career-high three rebounds, and Brandon Rabish made his collegiate debut with one rebound.

KJ Swain, Jr., who registered seven points and three rebounds against Franciscan, was a student at Xavier for two years before transferring to Saint Francis. The Musketeers are the next opponent for the Red Flash. Swain, who grew up in Hamilton, Ohio, about 40 minutes from Xavier, earned a scholarship before the start of this season. It will be the first time in his four years that he will be this close to his home in his collegiate career.

"I am ready. My whole family is behind me, I am excited, I can't wait  for this game," said Swain about Monday's game.

NEXT ON TAP
Saint Francis returns to action at Xavier on. Monday. Game time is 7 p.m., and the game will be live on truTV, with Brian Anderson, Grant Hill and Andy Katz serving as the broadcast team.  Read Full Article