WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> The Saint Francis University Men's Basketball won their first Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship since 1991 with a 46-43 victory over the no. 1 seeded CCSU Blue Devils.
>> Juan Cranford Jr. paced the Red Flash in scoring with 14 points on the night. The NEC Rookie of the Year added four rebounds and an assist.
>> Daemar Kelly led Saint Francis on the glass with seven rebounds in the game. Kelly also had six points and three assists.
>> Devin Haid led CCSU in scoring with 14 points.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
Neither team held a lead larger than four points for the entirety of the game.

With 33 seconds left, Valentino Pinedo scored a clutch layup through contact to put Saint Francis up 43-41. After the Blue Devils tied the game again, Kelly hit a mid-range jumpshot with nine seconds to spare to put Saint Francis back in front. Chris Moncrief hit a free throw with one second on the clock to ice the game.

FLASH MOMENTS
Riley Parker hit a three at the 5:39 mark of the first half to put Saint Francis ahead 13-11. After CCSU evened things up, Cranford Jr. drained a three of his own to put the Red Flash back up by three.

With the game tied at 16, Moncrief scored back-to-back transition baskets, the second one being an emphatic dunk, to give Saint Francis a four-point advantage with 2:34 to go in the opening period.

Cranford Jr. scored the first five points of the second half for Saint Francis to put them up 25-22.

With the Red Flash up by two with 11 minutes to play, Wisler Sanon II made a layup to bring the lead back to four at 35-31.

Parker broke a 37-37 deadlock with a three-pointer with 7:20 left in the game.

With the game tied at 41, Pinedo's layup put Saint Francis in the driver's seat with 33 seconds left in the game. Kelly's clutch jumper helped the Red Flash go back up by two with nine seconds remaining. 

CCSU's Abdul Momah fouled Moncrief in a scramble for a loose ball, leading to Moncrief making one of two free throws to seel the win for Saint Francis.

FLASH NUGGETS
Despite never leading by more than four, Saint Francis did not trail at all in the second half.

As NEC Tournament champions, Saint Francis will head to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. The Red Flash defeated FDU in the final that year 97-82. The Red Flash would defeat Fordham 70-64 in the NCAA Tournament play-in game before falling to the no. 2 seeded Arizona Wildcats 93-80.

Saint Francis battled to a title win in one of the lowest scoring games in NEC Tournament history, having the least amount of points scored in a win ever in NEC Tournament history. 

NEXT UP FOR FLASH
The Red Flash will wait until Sunday Mar. 16 to find out their first opponent in the NCAA Tournament.