The men’s basketball team’s incredible 2024-25 season ended with a heartbreaking 70-68 loss to Alabama State in the “First Four” of the NCAA Tournament in Dayton, Ohio, on March 18.
The team entered the game on a remarkable run after winning three straight overtime games to close the regular-season, before posting three consecutive three-point victories in the Northeast Conference Tournament.
The last victory in the six-game streak was a 46-43 win over Central Connecticut State in the NEC championship game on March 11.
The conference crown is just the program’s second in school history. The other came 34 years ago (1990-91 season).
This year’s team was accustomed to playing games that came down to the wire, but it certainly did not expect the last game of this historic season to end the way it did.
The first half against Alabama State offered the large contingent of Red Flash fans who made the trip to Dayton 20 minutes of fast-paced action.
Saint Francis shot the ball well in the first half (59 percent), but SFU was unable to create any separation from Alabama State because of turnovers (15 in the game).
Saint Francis carried a five-point lead into halftime (39-34) thanks to its strong shooting effort, one that included knocking down six of 12 shots from three-point range in the first 20 minutes. The Flash also got to the free throw line and broke several Hornet double-teams that led to open layups.
Points didn’t come as easily in the second half for SFU, however, when the pace of the game slowed. Alabama State capitalized on this change with its guards repeatedly attacking the basket and scoring on driving lay-ups.
The Hornets grabbed a 62-60 lead on a C.J. Hines three-pointer with 4:24 remaining. It marked Alabama State’s first lead since the 14-minute mark of the first half.
What followed was a hectic final two minutes that began with an SFU turnover that led to a Micah Octave fast-break slam.
Trailing by four points, 66-62, NEC Rookie-of-the-Year and NEC Tournament MVP Juan Cranford drained a long-range, contested three-pointer. The Dayton native hit five treys on the night and finished with a game-high 18 points.
Alabama State answered Cranford’s triple with a layup to move ahead by three, 68-65. Then, with under a minute left and with the shot clock dwindling down, Flash junior Chris Moncrief found himself with the ball at the top of the three-point arc.
Moncrief hadn’t made a three-pointer since Feb. 20 at LeMoyne, when he went four-for-four from beyond the arc.
The junior forward pulled up and sank SFU’s 10th trey of the night to tie the game at 68.
After an Alabama State missed free throw and an SFU turnover, the Red Flash found themselves defending against a baseline inbounds pass with under three seconds to play.
For Alabama State, a miracle happened. And for Saint Francis – a nightmare.
Alabama State chucked the ball nearly the full length of the court on the inbounds pass. The ball looked as if it had no chance of cleanly landing in a Hornet player’s hands, with multiple Flash defenders swarming toward it in the air.
The ball was tapped multiple times before landing in Amarr Knox’s hands. The sophomore from Memphis converted on a lay-up with one second to play to provide the two-point margin in a 70-68 Alabama State victory.
“If you were coming through Dayton and looking for a basketball game, you saw two teams that left it all out on the court,” said Red Flash head coach Rob Krimmel.
SFU junior center Valentino Pinedo finished the Alabama State game with 17 points while playing a game-high 38 points.
“What’s special about this team is that we played together the whole year,” said Pinedo. “We came up short, but I couldn’t be any more proud of this team.”
