NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — In a thrilling conclusion to the Northeastern Conference Tournament, Daemar Kelly sank a crucial jumper with just nine seconds on the clock, securing a narrow victory for St. Francis (Pa.) over Central Connecticut State with a score of 46-43 on Tuesday night. This triumph not only halted the nation’s longest winning streak of 14 games but also ushered the Red Flash into the NCAA Tournament for the second time in their history.
As the third seed, St. Francis (16-17) had previously struggled against the Blue Devils (25-7), suffering five consecutive losses, including two defeats this season by a margin of 31 points combined. Nevertheless, the victory marked a significant achievement for head coach Rob Krimmel, as it was his first triumphant appearance in the conference tournament finals after falling short in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
In this matchup, neither team dominated the scoreboard, with St. Francis freshman Juan Cranford Jr. and Central Connecticut State’s junior Devin Haid both securing 14 points—the only players from either team to reach double digits. The game remained tight throughout, tied at 20-20 following a lackluster first half.
Cranford ignited the second half for St. Francis, scoring a 3-pointer straightaway and adding a jumper to boost their lead to 37-33 with under ten minutes remaining. Though Central Connecticut State quickly responded with four points, St. Francis’ Riley Parker countered with a key 3-pointer, stretching the lead with just over seven minutes to go.
A four-point advantage for the Red Flash was threatened when the Blue Devils’ Devin Haid broke their five-minute scoring silence with two free throws. Although Haid missed two subsequent shots, he eventually nailed a jumper to knot the score at 41 with 1:42 left on the clock. Valentino Pinedo managed a go-ahead shot but failed to convert it into a three-point play, allowing Joe Ostrowsky to level the score for the final time with 17 seconds remaining. The game ended when Haid missed a critical 3-pointer at the buzzer, sealing the victory for St. Francis.
