WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Gestin Liberis sealed the win with a huge dunk with 20 seconds left to finish with a career-high 19 points in a 73-67 win against New Haven in NEC men's basketball action on Tuesday.
>> Skylar Wicks, who gave the Red Flash the lead it would not relinquish with an 11-2 run in the first half, finished with 13 points.
>> Zion Russell registered 14 points, and Chris Moncrief added 13 points.
>> The Frankies hit all 17 attempts from the free throw line to mark the first time the Red Flash went perfect from the free throw line by making double digits since 2012, and it was the most it made without a miss in a game since 2002.
TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
With the game tied at 30, Wicks went on an 11-2 run thanks to three field goals and 5-for-5 from the three-point line to give Saint Francis a 41-32 lead at the half.
Saint Francis did not have any major runs in the second half, but mainly answered New Haven to maintain an eight-to-11-point advantage until the final four minutes of the game.
Shades of the game against LIU on Thursday, the Chargers used all its battery power at the end of the game, with a 13-4 run, to whittle a 65-54 deficit to 69-67 with 22.8 seconds left.
Wicks inbounded the ball to Russell, who found Harrison on the other side of the court. Harrison then had a touch pass ahead to Moncrief, who found a wide-open Liberis for a monster dunk to seal the victory with 16.6 seconds left. New Haven then missed a trey, Russell came down with the rebound, and then the redshirt senior made two free throws to set the final score.Â
FLASH MOMENTSÂ
Trailing 21-11 with 11:47 left in the first half, the Frankies went on a 17-2 run to take a 28-23 advantage at the five-minute mark. Paris Papadatos powered the spurt with six points.Â
FLASH NUGGETS
Liberis bested his career high of 17 points, set at Chicago State on February 9, which was also a makeup game, just like Tuesday. It is the third time this season he has set a career-best in points. He has four 10+ point games in his last six games. The redshirt junior finished with nine rebounds to narrowly miss a double-double for the second time this season.
After scoring 21 points in his final home game, Russell registered double figures for the second straight game and the 12th time in his last 15 games.Â
Wicks returned to double figures after he had his streak of 10 games stopped in his DeGol Arena finale on Saturday. Moncrief reached 10+ points for the eighth time this season. The Red Flash are 5-3 when Moncrief scores 10 points in a game.
Saint Francis went 17-for-17 from the free throw  in the game on Tuesday. The last time the team was perfect, making at least 10, was when the Frankies went 10-for-10 against LIU on February 8, 2012. It was the first time since the team went 21-for-21 against Youngstown State on December 4, 2002 the team was perfect with more than 15 made charity tosses in a game.
The game at New Haven started the final three games of the regular season. Last year, the Red Flash won the final three regular-season games in its way to the NEC Tournament title.
The game was originally scheduled for January 25, but was postponed due to the weather.Â
The win ended an eight-game losing streak that started after the two postponements and the first meeting with the Chargers on January 31.Â
The Red Flash has now defeated 24 different opponents in NEC history.
Saint Francis is now tied with Chicago State, but the Cougars currently hold the tiebreaker with two games to go.
NEXT ON TAP
Saint Francis returns to action on Thursday when it travels to Stonehill. Game time is 7 p.m.