WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Despite a career-high 33 points by Skylar Wicks, Saint Francis drops a 94-79 decision to Mercyhurst in NEC men's basketball action on Saturday.
>> Wicks shot 11-for-15 in the game, 4 of 5 from behind the arc, and 7 of 8 from the free throw line. He added five rebounds and five assists.
>> Prior to the game, Saint Francis recognized the 1991 NEC Championship team with the jersey retirement of Joe Anderson (No. 44) and Mike Iuzzolino (No. 42), who led the Red Flash to the university's first NEC title.
>> Zion Russell (11 points) and Ahmad Harrison (10 points) also scored double figures for Saint Francis.
TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
After Wicks gave the Red Flash a 22-17 lead with 9:53 left in the first half, the Lakers went on an 11-0 run to take the lead for good. Saint Francs scored five unanswered points on a Paris Papadatos trey and a Cam Tweedy layup to trim the Mercyhurst lead to 28-27 with 6:48 remaining in the first half before the Lakers closed the half on a 22-9 spurt to go into the locker room with a 50-36 advantage.
FLASH MOMENTSÂ
Wicks fueled a 13-2 run with eight points to give Saint Francis a 22-17 lead with 9:53 left in the first half.Â
Wicks powered a 15-4 spurt in the second half with five points to cut the margin to 69-61 with 9:04 on the clock in the final frame. The redshirt senior then had another five points in a 7-2 surge to cut the deficit to 79-71 with 4:23 left, but could not get any closer the rest of the way.
FLASH NUGGETS
Iuzzolino was the second-to-last player to score 40 points in a game for the Frankies, and Friday marked the 35th anniversary of that performance against Robert Morris on February 13, 1991. The last player to reach 40 points in a game was Josh Cohen, who accomplished the feat twice during the 2022-23 season, 31 years after Iuzzolino. Cohen is also the last player to score 30 points in a game with 31 points against FDU on. February 23, 2023. One more twist is that Wicks scored 33 points on 1991 jersey retirement day, which was Cohen's jersey number with the Red Flash.
Wicks surpassed his career high of 29 points that he registered against Schriener as a member of Incarnate Word on November 14, 2023. It was the second time in three games he posted more than 25 points after he scored 27 points at Le Moyne on February 7. It was also the first time a player made 10 field goals in a game since
Riley Parker made 11 field goals against Lehigh on November 26, 2024. The 33 points are the sixth-most in the NEC this season and the second-most on the weekend. The redshirt senior has 10 20-point performances, which is the most since Cohen hit 20 points in a game 16 times in the 2022-23 campaign.
Russell had his second five-game 10+ point streak stopped in the last game at FDU. He returned to double figures for the sixth time in seven games, and the 11th time in his last 13 tilts. The redshirt senior is second on the team with 17 double-figure performances this season and marked the 30th time in his career.
Harrison continues his four-game streak of 10+ points, the longest of his Saint Francis career. He is averaging 12.3 points per game in that stretch.
Anderson and Iuzzolino were added to the retired numbers of Maurice Stokes (No. 26), Norm Van Lier (No. 12), and Kevin Porter (No. 10), three players from the Golden Era of Saint Francis.Â
NEXT ON TAP
Saint Francis returns to action on Thursday against LIU. Game time is 7 p.m. The Red Flash will wear its new black uniforms for first time this season at DeGol Arena. Fans are encouraged to wear black to make it a Black Out. In addition, the he Saint Francis University Criminal Justice Club is collecting monetary donations or new teddy bears for their annual "Bears for Care" Drive during the game.. The Bears will then be taken around and given to local law enforcement agencies to have on hand for children who are involved in emergency situations. There will be a special halftime bear toss. The club will also do this for the women's basketball home game against Stonehill on Thursday, February 26.Â
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