Saint Francis (PA) Secures First NCAA Tournament Berth Since 1991 with Stunning NEC Win

The Red Flash upset top-seeded Central Connecticut State Blue Devils' 14-game win streak and clinching their second-ever NCAA bid.

Saint Francis (PA) defeated Central Connecticut State 46-43 in the Northeast Conference championship game despite finishing the regular season with a losing record (13-17).
The victory marks Saint Francis (PA)'s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 34 years and only the second in program history, with the last coming in 1991.
Freshman Juan Cranford Jr. led the Red Flash with 14 points, including key second-half baskets, while Daemar Kelly hit the game-winning shot with nine seconds left.
Central Connecticut State, the NEC regular-season champion with a 25-7 record, saw its 14-game winning streak snapped and missed the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year.
The game was marked by poor shooting from both teams, with a combined field goal percentage of 31%, and Saint Francis (PA) capitalized on Central Connecticut's 16 turnovers to secure the upset.