The men’s basketball team lost a heartbreaker at Le Moyne, 86-84, on Feb. 7 in Syracuse.
Saint Francis held a 45-38 lead going into halftime and mounted a thrilling rally in the final seconds, but failed to come away with the victory.
SFU went on a 9-2 run in a 17-second span and tied the game at 84 on a 30-foot three-pointer from the right wing by Skylar Wicks.
The Dolphins, however, scored a layup to seal the game with 0.6 seconds left in regulation. Deng Garang sprinted down the left sideline and received a three-quarter-court pass by Trent Mosquera near the three-point line. Garang then drove the basket and scored a contested go-ahead lay-up with 0.6 seconds left.
Following Garang’s lay-up, a Le Moyne player who was not in the game ran onto the court to celebrate the bucket – with time remaining on the clock. Several SFU coaches and players pleaded with the officials to review the play, but the referees did not go to the replay monitor.
The Flash had one last chance at the buzzer, but Victor Payne’s heave shot hit the backboard and rimmed out, allowing the Dolphins to escape with the victory.
During the postgame handshake line, a scuffle broke out between the two teams and players from both sides had to be separated by coaches and game administrators.
Wicks had a season-high 27 points for the Red Flash (6-17, 4-6 NEC). Sophomore Victor Payne tied his career-high with 15 points. Freshman Zion Russell added 15 points, a team-high seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Jakai Sanders led the Dolphins with 20 points and nine assists. Le Moyne (12-13, 7-5 NEC) shot 63 percent (29-for-46) from the floor, while Saint Francis shot 42 percent (27-for-64). The Dolphins had 41 bench points, compared to 15 for the Red Flash.
SFU plays at Chicago State on Monday, Feb. 9. The game tips off at 4 p.m. Eastern Time and will be streamed on NEC FrontRow.
