NEW YORK — In a thrilling Northeast Conference Tournament semifinal showdown on Saturday, Juan Cranford Jr. emerged as the hero for St. Francis (PA), scoring 17 of his 20 points after the break. He secured the victory with a critical free throw just one second before the buzzer, leading his team to a heart-pounding 71-68 win over LIU.
This triumph propels St. Francis into the NEC title game, where they will face either top-seeded Central Connecticut or fourth-seeded Farleigh Dickinson on Tuesday.
For the third-seeded Red Flash, Cranford was on fire, hitting 6 of 11 shots from the field, including 2 of 5 from beyond the arc, and maintained a perfect 6 of 6 mark from the free-throw line. Contributing to the team’s success, Chris Moncrief had an impressive outing as well, scoring 15 points by shooting 5 of 8 from the field and 5 of 6 from the charity stripe. In addition, Riley Parker added 13 points, going 4 of 8 in field goals, which included a stellar 3 of 6 from three-point territory.
LIU’s Jamal Fuller led his team with 21 points, while his teammate Blake Lander added 13 points in their effort.
During the first half, Parker accounted for 11 points, but St. Francis trailed with a score of 38-23 at the halftime break. However, it was Cranford’s dominant performance in the second half that turned the tide, as he scored a team-high 17 points and delivered the decisive game-winning shot in the closing moments.
