LORETTO, Pa. (Interstat) — The Saint Francis (PA) Red Flash, propelled by a dominant first-half offensive display and a balanced scoring attack, dispatched the visiting Chicago State Cougars 81-60 in a Northeast Conference men’s basketball game Friday night at DeGol Arena.

A crowd of 703 saw the Red Flash (6-14) seize control early and never relent, building a 15-point halftime lead that the Cougars (2-18) could not meaningfully threaten in the second half. The victory improved Saint Francis’ conference record while extending Chicago State’s difficult season.

The most critical phase of the contest was its opening ten minutes. Saint Francis set an assertive tone from the tip, which was won by 6-foot-9 forward Gestin Liberis of Havertown, Pennsylvania. The Red Flash immediately executed their offense with precision, hitting three of their first four 3-point attempts. Skylar Wicks of Jersey City, New Jersey, drilled the first triple just 25 seconds in, and Chris Moncrief of Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, followed with another less than three minutes later for an 11-8 lead.

Chicago State, led early by CJ Ray of Four Oaks, North Carolina, kept pace briefly. Ray scored seven of the Cougars’ first 10 points, including a traditional 3-point play that cut the deficit to 13-11. However, the Red Flash responded with a decisive 14-4 run over the next four and a half minutes. The surge was fueled by ball movement and defensive activity, featuring layups from Liberis and Moncrief, a 3-pointer from Victor Payne of Cromwell, Connecticut, and capped by a Zion Russell 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 27-15.

The Red Flash’s offensive efficiency in the first half was stark. They shot over 60% from the field for much of the period and assisted on 12 of their 18 made baskets before halftime. Moncrief and Wicks provided consistent scoring, while point guard Ahmad Harrison of Baltimore, Maryland, orchestrated the attack with eight first-half assists. Conversely, Chicago State struggled to find a consistent rhythm outside of Ray, committing nine turnovers that Saint Francis converted into 12 points.

By the time Moncrief connected on a mid-range jumper just before the halftime buzzer, the Red Flash had established a 47-32 advantage. The 47 points represented Saint Francis’ highest-scoring half in conference play this season.

The second half saw the Red Flash maintain their comfortable margin. Every time Chicago State showed a flicker of momentum, Saint Francis had an answer. A quick 5-0 spurt by the Cougars early in the period was immediately countered by a Wicks dunk and a Moncrief layup. Later, when Doyel Cockrill of Nashville, Tennessee, hit back-to-back 3-pointers for Chicago State to cut the lead to 67-60 with just over seven minutes remaining, the Red Flash called timeout and promptly re-established control.

Out of the stoppage, Saint Francis clamped down defensively, holding the Cougars scoreless for the next four minutes and 44 seconds. During that drought, the Red Flash reeled off nine consecutive points. Russell scored on a putback, Moncrief sank two free throws, and Harrison nailed a crucial 3-pointer from the wing, extending the lead to 76-60 and effectively sealing the game with under two minutes to play.

Moncrief led all scorers with 18 points for Saint Francis. Wicks added 20 points and seven rebounds, while Russell finished with 14 points and seven boards. Harrison’s facilitation was key, ending with eight points and eight assists. Liberis contributed nine points, four assists, and two blocks in a strong all-around performance.

For Chicago State, Ray shouldered the offensive load with a game-high 21 points. Cockrill provided a second-half spark to finish with 13 points, and Chauncey Gibson of Dallas, Texas, added 10 points. The Cougars, however, were hampered by 17 turnovers and an inability to slow the Red Flash’s multifaceted offense.

Saint Francis finished the game shooting 51.7% from the field and 40.7% from 3-point range. Chicago State shot 41.8% overall and 30.4% from beyond the arc.

The Red Flash will look to build on the win when they travel to face New Haven on Sunday. Chicago State continues its road trip at Mercyhurst, also on Sunday. The two teams will meet again in just six days, on January 29, in Chicago.