| Saint Francis Probable Starters |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
FG% |
Note |
| G |
0 |
Chris Moncrief |
6-6 |
190 |
Jr. |
4.6 |
2.2 |
48.8 |
Posted 12 points, six assists, five boards vs. Le Moyne on 2/6 |
| G |
4 |
Juan Cranford, Jr. |
6-3 |
205 |
Fr. |
9.7 |
4.1 |
47.8 |
Recorded first career double-double at Chicago State |
| G |
5 |
Daemar Kelly |
6-5 |
195 |
So. |
7.4 |
2.9 |
42.3 |
Scored 10+ in three of last four |
| G |
11 |
Riley Parker |
6-2 |
195 |
Jr. |
12.8 |
3.4 |
48.0 |
Scored 19 points in first meeting with Stonehill |
| F |
31 |
Valentino Pinedo |
6-8 |
230 |
Jr. |
9.7 |
6.7 |
56.9 |
10+ points in five of last six tilts |
| Top Players Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
FG% |
Note |
| G |
2 |
Ace Talbert |
6-0 |
185 |
So. |
10.2 |
2.8 |
35.4 |
Averaging 12.8 ppg in last four games played |
| F |
3 |
Miles Webb |
6-8 |
190 |
Jr. |
4.3 |
3.2 |
59.7 |
One of three players with a double-double on the road |
| G |
7 |
Jeremy Clayville |
6-0 |
160 |
Fr. |
8.7 |
1.7 |
41.3 |
Scored road/NEC career-high 17 at Chicago State |
| G |
14 |
Bobby Rosenberger III |
6-5 |
205 |
So. |
10.1 |
4.2 |
41.2 |
Registered 19 points in last meeting with Skyhawks |
| G |
15 |
Victor Payne |
6-4 |
190 |
Fr. |
2.0 |
1.4 |
38.2 |
Saw action at Chicago State for first time in five games |
| F |
21 |
Gestin Liberis |
6-9 |
225 |
Jr. |
--- |
--- |
--- |
Averaged 11.0 ppg and 7.7 rpg in last four games played |
| G |
23 |
Wisler Sanon II |
6-4 |
190 |
Jr. |
1.7 |
0.4 |
42.9 |
Scored a point in three of the five games played |
| F |
32 |
Aidan Harris |
6-7 |
205 |
So. |
1.9 |
2.2 |
53.1 |
26 rebounds in last nine |
SELECT GAME NOTES VS. STONEHILL (FULL GAME NOTES PDF)
FRANKIES TIDBITS IN A FLASH
• Thursday's game between Saint Francis and Stonehill marks the sixth meeting in the all-time series dating back to the 2022-23 season. Before the January 5 meeting in Loretto, the home team had won the previous four tilts in the series. With Stonehill's 64-60 win in January, the Skyhawks have taken a 3-2 edge in the match up.
• "The answer is... four? I can't take it no more. I feel like I just gave birth to an accountant." - Thurman Melon in "Back To School." This road trip the Red Flash are currently embarking probably feels like answering one question in 27 parts especially with it taking part of three weekends to complete. The road trip includes games at Chicago State (W, 81-69, February 8), Stonehill (February 13), CCSU (February 15) and Le Moyne (February 20) This four-game road trip in league play marks the 10th time the Loretto program will play four straight conference games on the road, joining the 1988-89, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2021-22 and 2022-23 teams. The 1999-00, 2021-22 and 2022-23 trips also including a pair of games in New England. The win at Chicago State to open the road trip was only the second in team history the team won the first game in a a four-game road trip. The team has not won more than one game during a four-game conference road trip in program history.
• Since Stonehill joined the Northeast Conference,. Saint Francis has struggled with the New England swing, losing its last 10 games in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The last win in the most eastern part of the NEC was a 79-63 win against CCSU on February 24, 2022. In head coach
Rob Krimmel's first nine seasons, the Frankies won at least one game in New England, including when Bryant was in the circuit.
• "Well, I'll tell you. As much trouble as I've had on this little journey, I'm sure one day I'm going to look back and laugh." Neal from "Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Neal and Del had a great adventure trying to get home for Thanksgiving that is hard to believe. The interesting travel schedule for the Red Flash began when Saint Francis played at FDU, LIU, and Wagner in its three-game road trip earlier this year. The three schools are separated by just 31.8 miles and an hour and two minutes trip (in good traffic) to hit all three schools. However, the Red Flash traveled to FDU on January 12 and returned to Loretto before making its trek back up to the area for games against LIU (January 18) and Wagner (January 20). The two-week round trip covered 1,202 miles, 18 hours, and 25 minutes. Now, the Red Flash are in the midst of a four-game road trip that started at the school located the furthest west (Chicago State) in the Northeast Conference and will now head to the school located the furthest east (Stonehill). Saint Francis returned from its trip against the Cougars on Sunday night and began the trek to Stonehill on Tuesday. After the two games in New England, the team will return to Saint Francis on February 15 and then head back on the road to Syracuse to face Le Moyne. This road trip encompasses 2,688 miles, which is only 1,183 miles less than the team traveled for nine non-conference games (3,871 miles).
• The team will then have its final two games of the regular season at home.
AN SFU WIN WOULD
• Be the team's third-straight win and fourth in the last six games
• Be the first time in 10 tries the Red Flash posts two wins in a four-game road trip
• Even the team's NEC record to 6-6 on the year
• Be the first win at Stonehill
• Earn the split with the Skyhawks, which could be important when deciding seeding for the upcoming NEC Tournament
• End a 10-game losing streak in New England
ABOUT THE SKYHAWKS
• Stonehill comes into the contest 12-13 overall and 4-6 in Northeast Conference play after falling 62-59 against LIU on Saturday. The Skyhawks are 8-3 at home but just 2-3 at Merkert Gymnasium in league play.
• Louie Semona paced Stonehill with 23 points and seven rebounds against the Sharks, and Chas Stinson added 10 points.
• Todd Brogna leads the team with 12.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Josh Morgan, who has not played against FDU since January 26, is second on the squad with 12.3 points per game, and Semona is third with 12.0 points per game. Amir Nesbitt (65 assists, 23 steals) and Stinson (64 assists, 47 steals) are 1-2 in assists and steals.
LAST TIME WE MET
• Stonehill rallied to defeat Saint Francis 64-60 on January 5 in Loretto.
• Junior Riley Parker and sophomore Bobby Rosenberger III paced the Red Flash with 19 points, while junior Valentino Pinedo chipped in 10 points and seven assists.
• Hermann Koffi led the Skyhawks with 17 points. Amir Nesbitt registered 13 points, Louie Semona had 12 points, and Todd Brogna tallied 11 points and 13 rebounds.
LAST TIME OUT
• Freshmen
Jeremy Clayville and
Juan Cranford, Jr. powered Saint Francis past Chicago State 81-69 on Saturday.
• Clayville led the Red Flash with 17 points thanks to 6-for-8 shooting from the floor and 5 of 6 from behind the arc. Cranford registered his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds while adding seven assists and a steal.
• Junior
Valentino Pinedo tallied 14 points and seven rebounds, sophomore
Daemar Kelly (13 points) and junior
Riley Parker (11 points) also finished in double figures as the Red Flash had five players reach double figures for the second-straight game.
TRENDING UP
• In 1993, McDonald's had a bunch of commercials with Michael Jordan and Larry Bird where they would make baskets in an epic game of horse from different states and would always say "nothing, but net" after the shot. The distance that freshman
Jeremy Clayville can make his 3-pointers might be able to give Jordan or Bird a run for their money. The 17 points Clayville registered at Chicago State on February 8 tied for the most points he has registered in an NEC game and the most points he has scored on the road. He made five baskets from downtown in a game for the second time this season and the first time against a Division I opponent, and this marked the 10th time he had knocked down at least three from behind the arc in a game.
• "You know, these numbers almost add up to nine here. I like that. That's a good omen." - Rocky Balboa in "Rocky II." Freshman
Juan Cranford, Jr. did better than nine in two categories and almost hit that mark in a third category after finishing the game at Chicago State with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. Cranford became the second freshman to register a double-double in NEC play and the seven dimes were the most by a freshman in a league game this season. Since conference play began, the freshman has grabbed at least five rebounds eight times, including each of his last four tilts. He has also seen an uptick in assists with six multiple-assist games, including 12 in his last two contests. Cranford tallied his first 10+ point game in the league against FDU on January 12, and he is averaging 10.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game in his last eight games.
• "You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat" - Captain Brody in "Jaws" is a famous six-word quote. Six is the number of consecutive games junior
Riley Parker has scored double figures, which is a new career-long for Parker, so he will need a bigger boat after he had two five-game streaks stopped early this year. After averaging 16.6 points per game in his previous two five-gamers, the junior is averaging 17.3 points per game and has three games with at least 18 points and a career-high 29 points against LIU on January 18 in his current run. His 11 points against Chicago State were the fewest points he has registered in the past six games. Parker has posted 18 points or more nine times in his last 20 tilts. The junior has also dished out three assists or more three times in the last six games and 15 times on the year.
• "Move (let your mind) / Groove (put me on line) / The music is my life / Everybody dance now" - "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now" by C&C Music Factory. Sophomore
Daemar Kelly has registered has been in a groove that has been making the Red Flash fans want to dance now after registering three consecutive double figure games and four in his last five tilts. After registering 14 points in his last two games, Kelly recorded 13 points on Saturday. Kelly had one 10+ point game in his first 46 career games and has reached the mark in three straight and four of his last five. The sophomore averages 12.2 points per game in this stretch and shot 11-for-18 from the floor and 5-for-7 from behind the arc this week.
NOTE: Happy 59th Birthday to C&C Music Factory singer Freedom Williams, who was born on February 13, 1966.
• Saint Francis has won back-to-back games for the second time in the year and in league play. Both winning streaks started with a win at home, followed by a victory on the road. The Red Flash has scored 80 points in back-to-back contests for the first time since defeating LIU on the road 93-82 on February 18, 2023, and FDU at home 82-72 on February 23, 2023. That was also the last time the Frankies won three in a row, which the team will be looking to with its next game.
• Analytics with Ryan Peters: Saint Francis offense picked a good time to have a stellar week, as the Red Flash dropped 1.19 points per possession and a 64.8 percent effective field goal percentage in two victories over Le Moyne and Chicago State. Three-point shooting, in particular, was lethal, as the team made 11 triples in both games, the first time they have hit that mark against a DI opponent this season. For the season, the Red Flash are in the top 72 percentile of all college basketball in jump-shot proficiency, converting 43 percent of their two-point jumpers and 34 percent of their three-point jumpers.
RED FLASH STATE OF THE NEC
• Saint Francis has won back-to-back games for the second time in league play and three of its last five to move to 5-6 in NEC play and currently sits in the No. 4 spot if the postseason started today with Mercyhurst ineligible for the tournament and would host Stonehill.
• Stonehill, the Red Flash's opponent on Thursday, is a game back of the Frankies in the win column at 4-6 in fifth place. The Skyhawks defeated Saint Francis earlier this year, so a Red Flash win would force the tiebreaker to go to the standings if the two teams ended tied, which the Frankies would then hold thanks to their win against LIU on January 23.
• CCSU, the opponent on Saturday, is the current clubhouse leader at 8-2, two games in the loss column ahead of LIU (8-4), while FDU is in third at 6-4. The Red Flash defeated FDU 75-71 earlier this year.
• Chicago State also sits at 4-6, while Wagner is 4-7 and Le Moyne is 2-8.
• The Red Flash close the season at home against FDU (February 22) and Chicago State (March 1).
• Against the field, Saint Francis holds these records for the NEC: CCSU (0-1), LIU (1-1), FDU (1-0), Mercyhurst (1-1), Stonehill (0-1), Chicago State (1-0), Wagner (0-2) and Le Moyne (1-0).
• While Mercyhurst is not eligible for the postseason, the Lakers can still impact the tournament. The regular season games against Mercyhurst count in the standings and are included in tiebreaker scenarios if it comes down to it.
ON THIS DATE
• Saint Francis is 9-13 on this date, holding a 5-10 record on the road and 4-6 in Northeast Conference play.
• Will Felder hit a 3-pointer with 46 seconds left to lift Saint Francis past CCSU on this date on the road in 2010. The Blue Devils missed four chances to retake the lead in the final 46 seconds. Devin Sweetney paced the Red Flash with 16 points and eight rebounds. Felder had 15 points and seven boards, while Sorena Orandi added 13 points in the win. This win in New Britain was the last time the Frankies won on this date on the road.
FUN FACTS
• If money games were a thing on this date, Saint Francis would have played money games in 1961 (Ohio U), 1965 (Seton Hall), 1973 (Old Dominion) and 1974 (Boston College).
• The contest against Seton Hall was the last meeting between the two teams in the series. The two teams played nine times from 1939-65. The Frankies first win against the Pirates was an 89-78 win in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament 70 years ago on March 12, 1955. Maurice Stokes had 29 points in that game for Saint Francis.
