WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Saint Francis could not overcome a strong final four minutes and 36 seconds in a 70-61 loss to Chicago State in NEC women's basketball action on Thursday.
>> Gemma Walker paced the Red Flash with 17 points. Sonia Sato added 15 points and seven rebounds, and Aleah James chipped in 11 points.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
After Walker tied the game at 55 on her second 3-pointer of the night, the Cougars closed the game on a  16-5 run to earn the victory.
 

FLASH MOMENTS
Powered by 10 points by Walker, the Red Flash erased a three-point halftime deficit and took a 52-50 lead with 5:16 left in the game. Sato added six points in the spurt.

Trailing 29-19 with 3:57 left in the second quarter, Saint Francis closed the opening half and started the third quarter on a 12-2 run to tie the game at 31. James had four points in the surge. 

Sato scored four of the first 10 points of the game to give the Red Flash a 6-4 edge with 7:36 left in the first quarter.


FLASH NUGGETS
Walker registered her third game of 17 points or more after she had a career-high 20 points against LIU on January 10 and 17 points at Stonehill five days later. The sophomore has five games in double figures in points, all in her last 11 contests.

Coming off back-to-back 13-point performances and her first career double-double, Sato registered 15 points on Thursday to register her third-straight game in double figures. She also had three straight 10-point games in her first three games in a Red Flash uniform. The graduate student is averaging 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in her last three tilts.

James has reached double figures in points in three of her last four games and has nine double-figure point games this season. She is averaging 12.5 points per game in her last three games.

Bati Assefa added seven rebounds and four assists, while Cassandra Hawthorne and Shelby Ricks each had six boards on the night. Assefa changed her number from 11 to 24 after the team retired No. 11 in honor of Stacy Alexander on Saturday.

The Red Flash remains stuck at 399 NEC wins, needing one win to reach 400 league wins in league history.

  
NEXT ON TAP
Saint Francis returns to action at New Haven on Saturday. Game time is 1 p.m. Read Full Article