| Saint Francis Probable Starters |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
FG% |
Note |
| G |
0 |
Chris Moncrief |
6-6 |
190 |
Jr. |
4.8 |
2.2 |
48.5 |
Posted 12 points, six assists, five boards in last meeting with Le Moyne |
| G |
4 |
Juan Cranford, Jr. |
6-3 |
205 |
Fr. |
9.3 |
4.0 |
46.8 |
Three time NEC Rookie of the Week |
| G |
5 |
Daemar Kelly |
6-5 |
195 |
So. |
7.7 |
3.0 |
43.2 |
10+ points in six of last seven |
| G |
11 |
Riley Parker |
6-2 |
195 |
Jr. |
12.5 |
3.4 |
47.0 |
18 points in last meeting with Dolphins |
| F |
31 |
Valentino Pinedo |
6-8 |
230 |
Jr. |
10.6 |
6.6 |
59.4 |
Averaged 16.5 ppg in last weekend |
| 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. |
4.0 |
3.0 |
59.4 |
One of three players with a double-double on the road |
| G |
7 |
Jeremy Clayville |
6-0 |
160 |
Fr. |
8.5 |
1.6 |
41.9 |
Had 11 points at CCSU |
| G |
14 |
Bobby Rosenberger III |
6-5 |
205 |
So. |
9.9 |
4.1 |
41.5 |
Had 10 points in last battle with Le Moyne |
| G |
15 |
Victor Payne |
6-4 |
190 |
Fr. |
2.1 |
1.5 |
40.0 |
Had seven points at Stonehill on Feb 13 |
| 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. |
1.9 |
0.7 |
50.0 |
Scored a point in four of last five games played |
| F |
32 |
Aidan Harris |
6-7 |
205 |
So. |
1.8 |
2.1 |
52.9 |
Season high seven points vs. Lehigh |
SELECT GAME NOTES VS. LE MOYNE (FULL GAME NOTES PDF)
FRANKIES TIDBITS IN A FLASH
• Thursday's game between Saint Francis and Le Moyne marks the ninth meeting in the all-time series dating back to the 1948-49 season. Saint Francis leads the matchup 5-3, but the Dolphins have won two of the three meetings since their move to Division I last season. The Red Flash won the first battle this season in Loretto and looks to earn its first win in Syracuse since a 79-53 win on February 9, 1952. Cry by Johnnie Ray was the number one song that week in 1952, the only top hit in Ray's career. "Quo Vadis" was the top movie, while classic "Singing In The Rain" was released on March 27, 1952.
• "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 (L, 74-79, February 13), CCSU (L, 67-83, 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.
• "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 returned to Saint Francis on February 15 and headd 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).
• Saint Francis, who started league play with first three at home will end the regular season with the last two in Loretto against FDU on Saturday and Chicago State on March 1. The Loretto program /will open and close the conference schedule at home for the eighth time in program history and the first time since the 2022-23 campaign.
AN SFU WIN WOULD
• Notch a win at Le Moyne for the first time since 1952
• Win a two-game series with the Dolphins for the first time
• Finish a four-game road trip 2-2 for the first time in team history in 10 tries
• End a two-game losing streak
• Be the team's first win in New York this season
• Register its 11th win on the year
• Finish the regular season with four road wins after only winning two games last season
ABOUT THE DOLPHINS
• Le Moyne comes into the game winners of its last two games, with a 9-18 overall record and a 4-8 NEC mark after defeating Chicago State 80-75 on Saturday. The Dolphins are 4-2 at home in NEC play.
• AJ Dancler paced Le Moyne against the Cougars with 19 points, while Deng Garang (15 points), Dwayne Koroma (14 points), Robby Carmody (14 points) and Nate Fouts (12 points) all posted 10+points. The starters registered 74 of the 80 points for the Dolphins.
• Dancler leads the team with 13.5 points per game, while Carmody is second with 12.2 points per game and Koroma is third averaging 11.6 points per game. Ocypher Owens is the team's top rebounderwith 6.8 rebounds per game.
• Garang posted 15 points in both games last week to earn NEC Rookie of the Week honors. It was his first career 10+ point games.
LAST TIME WE MET
• Saint Francis defeated Le Moyne 86-78 on February 6 in Loretto
• Juniors Riley Parker fueled the Red Flash with 18 points, while sophomore Daemar Kelly added a career-high 14 points, and freshman Juan Cranford, Jr. (13 points), junior Chris Moncrief (12 points) and sophomore Bobby Rosenberger III each had double figures.
• AJ Dancler powered the Dolphins with 22 points, while Robby Carmody added 21 points, and Dwayne Koroma posted 15 points.
LAST TIME OUT
• Saint Francis lost 83-67 at CCSU on Saturday.
• Junior
Valentino Pinedo paced the Red Flash with 15 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore
Daemar Kelly (11 points), freshman
Jeremy Clayville (11 points), and junior
Chris Moncrief (10 points) also found double figures.
TRENDING UP
• "With the lights out, it's less dangerous / Here we are now, entertain us / I feel stupid and contagious / Here we are now, entertain us." - "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. The way that junior
Valentino Pinedo played in Massachussetts and Connecticut he was difinitely entertaining and hopefully it will be contagious. The junior posted 24 points on 11-for-13 shooting against CCSU on February 13. According to @NECHoopsRon, Pinedo became just the 20th NEC player in the last 20 years to finish a game with at least 11 made field goals while shooting 84 percent or better from the field. Pinedo is shooting 69.6 percent from the floor (16-for-23) on this current three-game road trip and 60.0 percent from the floor (45-for-75) since January 10 (last 11 games).
NOTE: Happy heavenly birthday to Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain, who was born on this date in 1967. Cobain got his first guitar on his 14th birthday and wanted to master "Stairway To Heaven."
• "You wanna know what I did to get in here? Nothing. I didn't have anything better to do." - Allison from "The Breakfast Club." Sophomore
Daemar Kelly has had anything better to do than post double figures in each of his last five games and six of his last seven. While Kelly would be a great Andrew Clark, he could also sub in for "Sesame Street" and Count von Count with his last four games, posting 14 points (Le Moyne, February 6), 13 points (Chicago State, February 8), 12 points (Stonehill, February 13) and 11 points (CCSU, February 15). He is averaging 12.0 points per game in his last seven tilts.
NOTE: "The Breakfast Club" was released on February 15, 1985.
• "Mom Always Liked You Best" is a famous Smothers Brothers routine, so there might have been an unofficial competition when we saw two Saint Francis players with parents who played in the NEC. Freshman
Jeremy Clayville's mother played at FDU and when the freshman played at the Rothman Center he scored 17 points. Fellow freshman
Victor Payne's father played at CCSU. Payne had two rebounds, but Clayville reached double figures with 11 points against the Blue Devils. It was Clayville's second 10+ point game on the road trip and his 10th of season. The junior has hit at least three triples in a game three times in a game 10 times, including nine of the 10 times he has reached double figures.
• Junior
Chris Moncrief reached double figures for the second time since joining the starting lineup and fourth time this season.
• Junior
Riley Parker had his seven game streak of 10+ points snapped at CCSU. He had a five-game streak halted and went three games before his next double-figure contest and then just had one game between his next five games. He registered 19 points and 21 points in the first game, and he returned to double figures after the last two times he had his streak stopped.
RED FLASH STATE OF THE NEC
• We could throw the Jim Mora playoff quote here, but that's been done. Instead, look at the movie "Sneakers" and consider Setec Astronomy. It doesn't mean anything, but does stand for "too many secrets." With two weeks left in the regular season, the secrets about the seedings are starting to show. NOTE: Happy heavenly birthday to Sidney Poitier, who was born on this date in 1927 and played Donald Crease in the movie "Sneakers."
• As play starts on Thursday, Saint Francis sits in fifth position for the tournament and would travel to Stonehill for the NEC Quarterfinals if it began today.
• The best the Red Flash can finish would be third, but if FDU (7-5) and Stonehill (6-6) both win and Saint Francis loses, the Frankies could finish no better than fifth place.
• Saint Francis sits at 5-8 and a half-game in the win column ahead of Wagner, Le Moyne, and Chicago State, who all sit at 4-8.
• Wagner holds the tiebreaker with the Red Flash after taking both meetings, so if there were any tiebreakers involving the Seahawks, Wagner would be the higher seed.
• The Red Flash won the first matchup with Le Moyne, and Chicago State currently has the upper hand. If the Dolphins win and finish in a tie with Saint Francis, the Red Flash would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker at the moment because it beat LIU, but Le Moyne still plays LIU (February 22) and CCSU (February 27). A win on Thursday and against CCSU would give the Dolphins an advantage. If Le Moyne wins on Thursday but does not beat CCSU, the Red Flash would hold the two-way tiebreaker even if the Dolphins beat LIU because it still would hold a win against FDU to trump the Dolphins' win against Stonehill as long as FDU finishes higher than Stonehill, otherwise it would then flip to Le Moyne advantage.
• The Red Flash would hold a similar advantage if Chicago State beats the Frankies on March 1 and the two teams end tied thanks to the FDU win again unless the Cougars beat CCSU to give them the upper hand.
• Chicago State still needs to play Wagner (February 22) and Saint Francis (March 1). Le Moyne and Saint Francis play on Thursday to complete the two-game series with those four teams.
Record Breakdown vs. Four Teams
• Chicago St. - 1-1 vs. Le Moyne; 0-1 vs. SFU; 1-0 vs. Wagner
• Le Moyne - 1-1 vs. Chicago St; 0-1 vs SFU; 1-1 vs. Wagner
• Saint Francis - 1-0 vs. Chicago St; 1-0 vs. Le Moyne; 0-2 vs. Wagner
• Wagner - 0-1 vs. Chicago St; 1-1 vs. Le Moyne, 2-0 vs. SFU
ON THIS DATE
• Saint Francis is 5-14 on this date, holding a 3-9 record on the road and 3-8 in Northeast Conference play.
• Fueled by 31 points and 13 rebounds from Devin Sweetney, Saint Francis defeated Sacred Heart 73-68 on this date in 2010. Sweetney moved into seventh place on the program's all-time career points list with his performance that included shooting a career-best 14-for-16 from the free throw line. Will Felder (13 points) and Cedric Latimer (12 points) also reached double figures for the Flash.
FUN FACTS
• St. Francis Brooklyn was the Red Flash dance card the most on this date with four games against the Terriers. Saint Francis also played twice against Wagner and once against LIU for seven games against NEC New York schools.
• Thursday's game at Le Moyne will mark the fourth time the Red Flash has played in the state of New York on this date (1988, 1995, 2021).
• The Frankies played at Wake Forest on this date in 1974. The Demon Deacons would then make their last trip to Loretto the following season.
