WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Mercyhurst outlasted Saint Francis 98-89 in overtime of an NEC men's basketball game on Thursday.
>> Chris Moncrief paced the Red Flash with 22 points.
>> Skylar Wicks (19 points), Zion Russell (16 points), and Victor Payne (14 points) also had double figures.
>> It was the third-straight February overtime game the Frankies have played, dating back to last season.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
The Lakers took the lead with 4:11 left in overtime and held onto it the rest of the extra session. Mercyhurst extended its advantage to 86-80 before Russell hit a 3-ball with 2:28 on the clock, but the Lakers went on an 8-2 run to squash any Red Flash comeback hopes.

FLASH MOMENTS 
Trailing 74-70 with 3:50 left in regulation, Saint Francis closed regular time by scoring nine of the final 14 points. Cam Tweedy tied the game with 20 seconds left to send the game to overtime. 

Trailing 56-45 with 14:38 left in the second half, the Red Flash went on a 23-6 run over the next seven minutes and 20 seconds to take a 68-62 lead with 7:29 left. Moncrief led the way with eight points, while Payne, Russell, and Wicks each had five points in the spurt. 

Saint Francis scored 12 of the first 18 points of the game to take a 12-6 lead with 16:41 left in the opening frame. Moncrief was the catalyst with four points. 

The Red Flash went on a 17-11 run to cut the deficit to 41-37 with 1:05 left in the first half. Six players scored in the surge, with Russell registering five.

FLASH NUGGETS
Moncrief registered his second career 20-point performance after he had 20 points at Le Moyne on February 20, 2025. The game against the Dolphins was the first of three overtime games the Frankies would play to end the regular season, and the first two happened in February. The senior has posted at least 14 points in five NEC games this season, and it marks the first time Saint Francis has not come up with the victory. He has 14 double-figure point games in his career. The senior added six rebounds, four assists, and three steals against the Lakers.

Wicks finished with 19 points for his sixth-straight double-figure game and the third with at least 19 points. He stuffed the stat sheet with seven rebounds and six assists. The redshirt senior has 12 games this season with 18 points or more. He is averaging 16.2 points in his current six-game 10+ points streak. With his 19 points, he has reached 800 points in his NCAA career.

Russell has reached double figures in three straight contests and eight of his last nine tilts. He has gone up the ladder, scoring 14, 15, and 16 points in his three-game 10+ point run. Russell is second to Wicks on the team with 14 double-figure performances this season. 

Payne registered an NEC career-high 14 points and the third-highest scoring total of his career after he had 15 points twice earlier this season. The sophomore has five games with 10+ points in league play this season.

Ahmad Harrison also had six helpers. 

Saint Francis closed the 2024-25 regular season with a program record three-straight OT games and won all three of those contests. It was the first time the Red Flash lost in an extra session game since a 70-68 double overtime loss at Wagner on January 20, 2025.

That game at Wagner was the first time Moncrief scored double figures against a Division I opponent, and it was also one of three times the Frankies have lost when he has scored 10+ points in a game. Saint Francis is 9-3 when he reaches double figures against a Division I opponent and 10-3 overall.

It was the second time this season the Red Flash scored 89 or more points and lost.

NEXT ON TAP
Saint Francis returns to action at the place Moncief hit his career high, at Le Moyne on Saturday. Game time is 1 p.m. Read Full Article