| Saint Francis Probable Starters |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
FG% |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Makyiah Ward |
5-4 |
Fr. |
4.5 |
3.6 |
37.9 |
Career-high 10 rebounds at Wagner |
| F Â Â Â Â Â Â |
4 |
Sonia Sato |
6-0 |
Gr. |
9.0 |
4.0 |
36.8 |
Scored team-high 13 points at LIU |
| G |
21 Â Â |
Gemma Walker |
5-10 |
So. |
7.7 |
2.9 |
32.1 |
Increased scoring input from last year by 93 percent |
| F |
23Â Â Â |
Shelby Ricks |
5-9 |
Gr. |
11.8 |
6.5 |
41.4 |
Scored 16 points in last two games |
| G |
24 |
Bati Assefa |
5-9 |
Sr. |
5.0 |
4.6 |
34.8 |
NEC career-high 12 points against Stonehill |
| Top Players Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
FG% |
Note |
| G |
0 |
Aleah James |
5-7 |
Gr. |
10.1 |
3.5 |
35.9 |
Needs 15 points for 1,000 through JUCO and NCAA |
| GÂ |
3 |
Desire Short |
5-9 |
Jr. |
1.0 |
0.8 |
15.4 |
Has not played since CCSU road game |
| G |
5 |
Kash Holmes |
5-9 |
Jr. |
--- |
--- |
--- |
Did not play in first 27 tilts |
| F |
10 |
Zaiha Minnis |
5-11 Â Â |
Sr. |
4.1 |
1.6 |
34.4 |
Matched career-high with 15 points vs New Haven |
| GÂ |
12 |
Sajol Thornhill |
5-7 |
So. |
1.7 |
1.2 |
17.6 |
Season-high nine points vs Mercyhurst |
| FÂ |
15 |
Cassandra Hawthorne |
5-11 |
Gr. |
5.6 |
3.8 |
34.5 |
NEC-high 12 points at LIU |
| G |
33 Â Â |
Giselle Eke |
6-3 |
So. |
2.4 |
3.0 |
29.6 |
Matched career-high with six points against Mercyhurst |
SELECT GAME NOTES VS CCSUÂ (FULLÂ GAME NOTES PDF)
FRANKIES TIDBITS IN A FLASH
• If you are a fan of the movie "Rookie of the Year," John Candy has a great line talking about what the game comes down to. On Saturday, the Saint Francis men's and women's basketball teams play CCSU, and his statements about being for the whole enchilada fit the Red Flash men, but things are not as dire for the women's team.
• With a win against the Blue Devils on Saturday, the Red Flash women's basketball team would clinch a spot in the NEC Tournament. Unlike the men's situation, a loss does not eliminate the women from playoff consideration.
• If Saint Francis falls to CCSU on Saturday at DeGol Arena, the other game to watch will be the Wagner game at Chicago State on Saturday. If the Seahawks beat the Cougars, they are guaranteed to finish higher than Chicago State, so the only way that the Red Flash would not make the tournament is if CCSU defeats New Haven at home and Saint Francis falls at FDU on March 5. It could be a long day if the Red Flash drops its last two games because Saint Francis plays at 11 a.m. and the Chargers-Blue Devils game is a 7 p.m. tip. If Chicago State beats Wagner, then Wagner could still clinch the higher seed with a win against LIU, or a Chicago State loss to Stonehill on March 5.
• The Red Flash could also clinch if it loses on Saturday with a win at FDU, but the Knights have won the last 35 games in the NEC, so that will be a tall task for Saint Francis, not saying it cannot be done. Wagner is the Red Flash's best win, and Chicago State is CCSU's best win, so the eyes could turn to those two teams if Saint Francis does not come away with a victory.
• If Wagner and Chicago State finish tied in the standings, then the tiebreaker between Saint Francis and CCSU would be NET rankings. As of February 26, Saint Francis sits at a NET ranking of 357, and CCSU is at 361, but depending on the results of the last two games, things could change.
• If you follow the Red Flash men, they could also have their fate determined by NET rankings if Saint Francis, Chicago State, FDU, and Stonehill all win, but at the moment, unlike the women, it is not a favorable ranking.  Another interesting comparison between the men and the women is that both could have their postseason fates determined by Saturday's game against CCSU.
• Of course, if the Loretto program can follow Raiders Al Davis' 1983 motto and "Just Win," then scoreboard watching is not necessary.Â
NOTE: Raiders linebacker Phil Villapiano added the "baby" part to make the "Just Win, Baby" famous moniker.
• It could be a great day in Loretto with a victory. Not only would it clinch a postseason berth, but it would also be the 400th NEC win in program history and acting head coach
Raphael McNeill's first win as a head coach. That would be a great way to end the 2025-26 home schedule with a trifecta of milestones.
AN SFU WIN WOULD"
• Be the team's 400th NEC victory in program history
• Sweep the season series with CCSU for the first time since 2020-21
• Be the first win in February
• Be Active Head Coach Ralph McNeill's first win as a head coach
• End a 10-game losing streak, its longest NEC losing streak since losing the final 10 league game in 1988-89
• Be the second win at home this season
• Be the sixth-straight win on this date
ABOUT THE BLUE DEVILS
• Saturday's game between CCSU and Saint Francis marks the 58th meeting in the all-time series dating back to the 1998-99 season. The Red Flash leads the all-time series 39-18, but the Blue Devils have won five of the last eight, the last two in DeGol Arena and three of the last four in Loretto.Â
• The 36 wins against CCSU are the fifth most among NEC teams: LIU (49), Wagner (49), St. Francis Brooklyn (47), FDU (45), Robert Morris (36).
• It marks the fourth time CCSU is the curtain puller for a regular season after the two teams closed DeGol Arena in 2000 and 2001. It is the sixth time the Blue Devils are part of the final homestand, having also been in the final home stretch in 2004, 2012, and 2025. The only time this occurred in the previous five times it happened, CCSU won last season.
• Last season, CCSU head coach Kristin Caruso was in a similar situation as Saint Francis acting head coach Raphael McNeill. Caruso was the acting head coach for the Blue Devils to finish the season. The game in Loretto was her eighth game at the helm, while Saturday's game for McNeill will be his fourth.Â
• CCSU comes into the contest 1-26 overall and 1-16 in NEC play after falling 75-66 at Mercyhurst in a Kid's Day Out Game on Thursday. The Blue Devils picked up their first win of the year with an 86-75 win on Senior Day against Chicago State on February 21.Â
• Kiyah Lewis paced CCSU against the Lakers with 21 points. Lucia Noin added 18 points, and Mia Toure chipped in 10 points.Â
• Noin leads the team with 13.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and is also the statistical leader for assists (68) and steals (53). Lewis ranks second with 12.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
LAST TIME WE MET
• Behind 19 points by Aleah James, Saint Francis defeated CCSU 74-63 on January 17 in New Britain, Conn.Â
• Cassandra Hawthorne added 10 points in the last win for the Red Flash.Â
• Lucia Noin powered the Blue Devils with 30 points. Kiyah Lewis added 13 points, and Kayla Henry chipped in 12 points.
LAST TIME OUT
• Saint Francis dropped a 58-55 decision against Stonehill on Thursday.
• Shelby Ricks fueled the Red Flash with 16 points, while Bati Assefa added 12 points.
TRENDING UP
• Graduate student Shelby Ricks has scored 16 points in each of her last two games. It is the fourth time this season she has scored 10+ points in consecutive games. She looks to have her second three-game in double figures in the game against the Blue Devils on Saturday. She also strung together four consecutive games, but both her three-game and four-game streaks were in non-conference play, although her four-gamer included a 21-point output against Le Moyne in the NEC opener. In addition, in the two times she had 10+ points in back-to-back games, both were Saturday-Thursday, meaning she is looking for her first weekend consecutive 10+ point games.Â
• Senior Bati Assefa registered double figures for the second time in NEC play and the third time in her career against Stonehill on Thursday with an NEC career-high 12 points. She has recorded all three of her 10-point games at DeGol Arena after posting a career-high 15 points against Lafayette on November 16 and 10 points against Wagner on January 8. Since she switched her number from No. 11 to 24, her scoring average has increased slightly from 4.5 points per game to 5.1 points per game.Â
• Graduate student Aleah James has a chance to do something that Zion Russell did for the Red Flash men's basketball team. James registered her first career 20-point game in her DeGol Arena debut on November 16 and could close her DeGol Arena chapter with a 20-point game. Russell had a career-high 23 points against Mount St. Mary's on November 11 in his first game in Loretto and then posted 21 points against Wagner in his final game on February 21.
• James needs 15 points to reach 1,000 points for her career through her stops at Union (246 points), Monroe (393 points), UMES (93 points), and Saint Francis (253 points). Union and Monroe are both part of NJCAA, so she has 639 points at the JUCO level and 343 points at the NCAA level.Â
• Sophomore Gemma Walker must be climbing the ladder. The sophomore went three games scoring eight points and then had three 10+ point games with a total of 48 points before another streak of three games with eight points. She then rolled off four-straight games in double figures with 55 total points. The game against the Skyhawks was her fourth straight game in single digits for a total of 22 points. Does she go back to a 10+ point game against CCSU?
• Did you know that seven players increased their scoring output by at least 27 percent with two regular-season games left? Walker came into the season with 12 points and has 170 points, a 93 percent increase. Graduate students Cassandra Hawthorne and James have the next-largest jumps at 64.2 percent (52 points to 145 points) and 63.7 percent (93 points to 253 points), respectively. Assefa is next on the list at 49.3 percent (64 points to 126 points), while Ricks (34.5 percent, 194 points to 296 points), sophomore Giselle Eke (32.8 percent, 37 points to 55 points) and Sato (27.3 percent, 163 points to 224 points) all had big percentage increase from the number of points they came into the season or to Saint Francis with and the number they have in 2025-26.
IN THE NEC
• Graduate student Aleah James ranks sixth in assists (2.96 apg) in the NEC, 10th in 3-point field goal percentage (35.7), and 20th in scoring (10.1 ppg).
• Graduate student Shelby Ricks ranks fifth in blocked shots (0.92 bpg), seventh in rebounding (6.4 rpg), seventh in free throw percentage (78.2),eighth in defensive rebounds (4.24 rpg), 10th in offensive rebounds (2.20 rpg), and 11th in scoring (11.8 ppg). She is third NEC in 3-point field goal percentage (40.5) in league games.Â
• Freshman Makyiah Ward ranks eighth in steals (1.54), and ninth in assists (2.62 apg)
• Graduate student Sonia Sato ranks seventh in blocked shots (0.80 bpg) and 27th in scoring (9.0 ppg).
• Sophomore Gemma Walker is 10th in free-throw percentage (75.3).
• Saint Francis ranks third in defensive rebounds (24.33), fifth in rebounding offense (35.7 rpg), fifth in 3-point field goal defense (30.1), fifth in assists (12.85 apg), fifth in defensive rebound percentage (0.675), fifth in blocked shots (2.56 bpg), and fifth in 3-pointers made (5.44 pg).Â
HOME SWEET, HOME
• Saint Francis is 1-11 at home and 1-6 in NEC play at DeGol Arena. The Red Flash's lone win was a 75-67 decision against Wagner on January 8.
• The Red Flash is averaging 55.7 points per game, while allowing 68.7 points per game.Â
• Graduate students Shelby Ricks (11.7 ppg., 5.5 rpg) and Sonia Sato (10.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg) are both averaging double figures at home, while sophomore Gemma Walker is just below the mark with 9.1 points per game.
• Ricks has five 10+ point games at DeGol Arena, including a career-high 29 points in that win against Wagner. She is averaging 17.5 points per game in her last two home games. Ricks also has one of her five double-doubles at home this season.
• Sato has five games in double figures at home, including a career-high 23 points against Carnegie Mellon on November 18. The graduate student has double figures in three of her last five games in Loretto and is averaging 10.8 points per game in that span.Â
• Walker has double figures in five of the eight games in league play at home this season and is averaging 10.1 points per game in NEC games in Loretto. She registered a career-high 20 points against LIU on January 10 and has registered double digits in her last three of her last four tilts, averaging 12.3 points per game.Â
• Along with Ricks, Sato, and Walker, graduate student Aleah James has 20-point game in her DeGol Arena debut against Robert Morris on November 13. She has three double-figure point games at home.
• Senior Zaiha Minnis registered a career-high 15 points against New Haven on January 24. Senior Bati Assefa has three 10+ point games, including a career-high 15 points against Lafayette and an NEC-high 12 points in her last game against Stonehill on February 26. Graduate student Cassandra Hawthorne had 12 points against Army West Point on November 22.
DRIVE FOR 400 WINS
• Saint Francis can become the first team in NEC history to reach 400 wins in conference play with its next win against NEC opponents.
• With its 74-63 win against CCSU on January 18, the Red Flash sits at 399 wins in its 40th year of the circuit. The team has averaged 10.2 wins per season. Mount St. Mary's is the closest team with 355 wins, while FDU is next on the active list with 344 victories.
• Saint Francis has earned a win in NEC play against 20 teams. The only past or present NEC team the Red Flash has not defeated is New Haven, which joined the league this season.Â
• Saint Francis has won at least three league games in its first 39 years in the league, which is the mark the Red Flash needs to reach 400 wins this season. The 1988-89 and 2007-08 seasons are the only two seasons in which the team won exactly three games, while in the rest of the seasons, the team had more than three wins. The team current sits at two NEC wins with four to play.
ON THIS DATE
• Saint Francis is 7-4 overall, 6-2 at DeGol Arena, and 5-3 in NEC play on this date. The Red Flash had won six straight games on this date from 1991 to 2011, and has won its last five at home on this date.
• Jess Zinobile registered 27 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Red Flash back to the NEC Championship Game for the sixth-straight season with a 73-65 win against Wagner on this date in 1999. Kristy Balliet (16 points) and Jen DeFilippo (13 points, 11 rebounds) also had double figures in the game.
• Brittany Lilley scored on a layup with three seconds left to lift Saint Francis past Mount St. Mary's 62-61 on this date in 2011. Lilley also helped send the game to overtime with two free throws with 37 seconds left to tie the game at 54. Lilley finished the game with 11 points, while Samantha Leach had 26, and Alli Williams tallied 10 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.Â
FUN FACT...Â
• The last time the Red Flash lost on this date at DeGol Arena was to Monmouth (73-42) in 1987.
