Mount St. Mary's looks to win the Northeast Conference tournament for the second time in the last four years when it hosts St. Francis (PA) on Tuesday night. The Mountaineers finished the regular season with a conference-best 14-4 record. Due to reseeding, the Red Flash squeaked by at 3rd-seeded Wagner to reach the final. They had only won the conference tournament once back in 1991. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM Eastern time and it can be seen on ESPN2, online at espn.com/watch, and on the WatchESPN and ESPN mobile apps.
#4 St. Francis (PA) (16-15, 11-7 NEC)
Not only have the Red Flash enjoyed just one tournament CHampionship, but 1991 was also their last appearance in the final. The team's lone postseason tournament they've attended recently was the CollegeInsider.com dance back in 2015, and they had a first round loss to Bowling Green. They've been beaten convincingly by most of their non-conference opponents with their most competitive loss being against Marquette.
Freshman guard Keith Braxton (13.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg) was the savior for St. Francis (PA) with the game-winning shot in the semifinals. He's had 37 points so far in the tournament.
#1 Mount St. Mary's (18-15, 14-4 NEC)
The Mountaineers have been in the final five times now since 2008.
In their four automatic berths to the Ncaa Tournament, Mount St. Mary's has always been the 16 seed and have a 1-5 record. That lone win came in the opening round against Coppin State back in 2008. While it took some magic to get past Sacred Heart in the quarterfinal, the Mountaineers had an easier time with Robert Morris in the semifinal.
Sophomore guard Elijah Long (15.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg) delivered a huge 3-pointer in the closing minute to help MSMU get to the final. He finished with 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Junior guard Junior Robinson (13.8 ppg) was efficient in the latest win by hitting 5-of-9 field goals and making all eight free throw attempts.
Mount St. Mary's has won the last four meetings against St. Francis (PA), the latest being a convincing 19-point win on the road. The Mountaineers are a 5-point favorite at home in the NEC Championship. They're 4-8-2 against the spread as a favorite but are 7-5-1 at home.
