scored on a jumper in the lane with 52 seconds in overtime left to lift Saint Francis past FDU 85-80 in Northeast Conference (NEC) men's basketball action on Saturday.Â
paced the Red Flash with 28 points, while Moncrief finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, and three assists.Â
had 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
>> The Red Flash played in back-to-back overtime games for the first time in 70 years. The only other time the Frankies played consecutive extra sessions was Maurice Stokes' final two games in a Saint Francis uniform in 1954-55.
TURNING POINTS OF THE GAME
Playing at two in the afternoon, the banks should not have been open at the end of a basketball game on Saturday, but they were for FDU at the end of regulation, thanks to a bank-shot 3-pointer that sent the game to overtime.
Parker started overtime with the first five points to stake the Red Flash out to an 80-75 lead with 3:01 left in the extra session. The Knights came back to tie it at 80 before Moncrief gave Saint Francis the lead for good.
The junior took a pass from Kelly in front of the charity stripe, Â turned to his right, and then pivoted back to the left, turned around, and had his shot kiss the rim and fall in. The junior also had the defensive rebound to help seal the victory on FDU's second shot attempt, trying to tie the game at 82. Parker then made two free throws with 14 seconds left to seal the victory.
FLASH QUOTES
"We told the guys going into the game that each game is the biggest game we play, and none more than the one we played today. Not because it's the next game but because of what was at stake. And we want our guys to develop that big game mindset before we get to the big game."
- head coach Rob Krimmel on the magnitude of the game
"Our guys didn't hang their heads (after the 3-point bank shot). They came to the timeout and said, we were just here. We know what to do. We know how to get home. Let's play with some confidence. Continue to rebound the basketball and put ourselves in a position to win a big game. And I am happy with that, with the effort and the execution, the composure they showed."
- Krimmel on the play in overtime
"Aidan did a tremendous job just with the amount of intensity. He's like that in practice, always screaming. Looking at the stat sheet, Aidan played 11 eight minutes, had five rebounds, and was +12. That's his role, his niche, and he has embraced it. It was a huge lift for us in the second half." -
Krimmel on the play of Aidan Harris
"He's coming on strong. Those moments that you build confidence,  and those moments and you gain composure by going through some tough times. That's how you become composed. You gain confidence by being successful in those moments. And you want those things, that wants those things to carry over practice to practice, and game to game."
- Krimmel on Chris Moncrief's growth and the ability to make the game-winning shot
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FLASH MOMENTS
Overtime did not seem possible with 12:33 left in regulation, with FDU holding a 49-42 lead, but Saint Francis went on a 23-8 run to take a 63-57 advantage with 4:33 left. Parker fueled the run with 11 points, while
Victor Payne gave the Red Flash the lead for the first time in the second half at 50-49 midway through the second half.
The Knights came back to tie it at 65, but Cranford and Kelly each hit from downtown to take a 71-65 edge with 49 seconds left in regulation, only to see FDU use an 8-2 run to tie the game and force overtime.Â
In the first half, Saint Francis used a 20-3 run to take its largest lead at 24-8 with 9:56 remaining in the opening frame. Cranford powered the spurt with five points, while Parker and
Valentino Pinedo added two baskets apiece.
Wisler Sanon II had three points, including stealing an inbounds play and hitting a layup with 12:11 left in the first half.
FLASH NUGGETS
Parker finished with 28 points thanks to 10-for-15 shooting, 4 of 7 from behind the arc, and 4 of 4 from the free throw. The total is one off the career-high he set against LIU on January 23. It is the junior's fifth 20-point performance and third at DeGol Arena.Â
With his assist with 18:47 left in the first half, Parker became the 19th player in program history to register 100 assists in a season and marked the 40th time a player has reached 100 helpers in a campaign. The last player to turn this trick was Keith Braxton in 2019-20, but Braxton also dished out 100 assists all four years of his collegiate career.
Coming off a career-high 25-point performance at Le Moyne on Thursday, Moncrief finished with 14 points and a career-high nine rebounds against FDU. It was also the fourth time he has handed out three assists in a game this season and the sixth time he has posted double figures in points. The junior finished the week shooting 16-for-22 (72.7 percent) from the floor, 4 of 5 from behind the arc, and 3 of 5 from the free throw line, averaging 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.Â
Cranford also averaged double figures in the week, averaging 13.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. The freshman narrowly missed his second double-double by one rebound after tallying 10 points and 10 rebounds against Chicago State on February 8. Cranford has 15 games with at least 10 points in 2024-25.
Kelly reached double figures for the seventh and eighth straight games in nine games. The sophomore also had six rebounds, a career-high tying four assists and a block. Kelly leads the team with 13 blocks.
On Thursday, the Frankies defeated Le Moyne 81-76 for its first road win in overtime since defeating Bryant 86-82Â on December 31, 2017. That season was also the last time Saint Francis won two overtime games after defeating Niagara 93-87 on December 10, 2017. Another thing that happened during that campaign was the last time the Red Flash swept a regular season series with FDU.Â
The only other time the Frankies played consecutive OT games was a 79-73 overtime loss to Dayton on March 17, 1955, in the National Invitation Tournament semifinals and a 96-91 overtime loss to Cincinnati on March 19, 1955, in the consolation game. Stokes had a then-program record of 43 points against the Flyers and 31 points, 24 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Bobcats in his final game at Saint Francis. Stokes was the unanimous NIT Most Valuable Player.Â
Saint Francis has won back-to-back games for the third time this season. The Red Flash are 7-8 in NEC play, with one game remaining on the schedule. The Frankies have a bye on Thursday.
NEXT ON TAP
Saint Francis wraps up the regular season at home against Chicago State on Saturday, March 1. Game time is 1 p.m. Before the game, the Red Flash will honor team manager Carmen Lefoer and senior
Brendan Scanlon.Â
