WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> CCSU defeats Saint Francis 98-90 in NEC men's basketball action on Saturday.
>> Ahmad Harrison paced five Red Flash players in double figures with 17 points and a career-high seven assists. The senior shot 7-for-14 from the floor on the afternoon.
>> Gestin Liberis (14 points), Skylar Wicks (14 points), Zion Russell (14 points), and Victor Payne (12 points) also had double figures for the Loretto program.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
CCSU took the lead for good on a 3-pointer with 2:20 left in the first half. Saint Francis cut the margin to one point four times, but CCSU recorded a 20-9 run to give CCSU breathing room in a rematch of last year's NEC Championship Game. 

The Red Flash made one more field goal, also from long range, but the Blue Devils went 27-for-34 from the free-throw line, compared to 16-for-22 for Saint Francis.

The title bout ended with a Red Flash 46-43 win on March 11, 2025, in New Britain. The offense was not in short supply in the rematch with CCSU holding a 47-43 lead in the first 20 minutes and a 51-47 edge in the second half.

FLASH QUOTES
"I can't knock the effort. Just have to credit CCSU that just made a couple more plays to come out with the victory." - Luke McConnell on the game

FLASH MOMENTS 
After the Blue Devils jumped out to a 15-2 lead, Saint Francis went on a 36-23 run to tie the game at 38. Payne powered the run with nine points, while Zion Russell and Wicks had six points, and Brandon Russell, Ralph Martino, Jr., and Harrison each had five points in the spurt.

After CCSU retook the lead, Harrison made it a one-point lead on a layup with 1:40 left in the first half. Zion Russell hit a 3-pointer to cut the margin to 44-43 with 21 seconds until the break.

At the start of the second half, Payne, Harrison, and Chris Moncrief each hit a triple to power a 9-4 run to trim the margin to 53-52 with 17:07 left. 

Saint Francis scored 11 of 18 points midway through the second half, thanks to seven points by Liberis, to cut the deficit to 73-67 with 7:45 on the clock.

The Blue Devils restored a double-figure lead before the Frankies went on an 8-2 run to trim the deficit to 82-77 with 2:54 left, but could get no closer the rest of the way. Wicks had four of the eight points in the surge.  

FLASH NUGGETS
Harrison paced the Red Flash in scoring for the second time this season, and tied his season-high with 17 points, a mark he also had against Belmont on November 24. The senior has posted double figures three times in conference play and four times in his last six tilts. He is averaging 12.1 points per game in that stretch. After registering six assists three times in his career, he set a new standard with seven helpers on Saturday.

Liberis narrowly missed his second double-double this season and fourth of his career after finishing with 14 points and nine rebounds against the Blue Devils. The 14 points tied the most he has scored in an NEC game, matching his 14 points at Merrimack on February 22, 2024. It was the first time he had double-figure points since posting 10 points at Xavier on December 1. 

Wicks stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal, and did most of his damage from the free throw line, going 8-for-8 from the free throw line. It is the second time in his career that he was perfect at the charity stripe with eight or more free throws after going 9-for-9 against Nicholls on February 26, 2024, with Incarnate Word. It was his 14th double-figure game of the season and 37th time in his career. 

Zion Russell returned after missing three games to register his fifth-straight 10+ point game. The 14 points are the fifth-most points he has scored in a game this season. During his five-game streak, he is averaging 13.0 points per game. The redshirt senior was 5-for-7 from the floor, 2 of 3 from behind the arc, and 2 of 2 from the free throw line in the first game he has played this season off the bench. 

Payne posted 12 points and five rebounds thanks to a 4-for-6 shooting from the floor and from behind the arc. Payne, who did not play in the NEC Championship Game in March, registered his first 10+ point game against his father's alma mater. The elder Payne graduated from CCSU in 2000, and both hold NEC titles, but the younger Payne is the only one to have won the title in New Britain. Payne registered double figures in consecutive games for the second time in his career.

Moncrief finished with nine points and five rebounds. The senior is the only player on the 2025-26 team who played in the NEC Championship Game. CCSU only had two players who saw action in that game on Saturday.

Saint Francis scored 90 points in a game against a Division I opponent for the first time since February 18, 2023. It marked the first time the Red Flash had five players in double figures since March 1, 2025 against Chicago State.

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