Saint Francis junior guard Chris Moncrief saw Daemar Kelly practice the situation he found himself in during the Northeast Conference championship game hundreds of times.

There weren’t always cameras or opponents around, but Kelly wanted to be the guy who could make big shots.

Kelly, a Penn Hills graduate, stuck a jumper with 9.8 seconds remaining, providing the go-ahead basket to help third-seeded Saint Francis beat top-seeded Central Connecticut State, 46-43, to reach the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for the first time since 1991 and the second time in school history.

The Blue Devils (25-7) were on a 14-game winning streak entering the game.

“It was really Daemar being Daemar, really,” said Moncrief, a Turtle Creek native who attended the Kiski School. “We have so much confidence in him to make those types of plays. He saw the opening and took the opportunity. It’s something he works on all the time. He makes those types of plays and shots.”

Kelly said the coach trusted them to make a play to win the game. Kelly, who transferred from Quinnipiac after averaging 1.5 points as a freshman, grew steadily throughout his first year with the Red Flash. Kelly averaged 8.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in 32 starts.

He finished with six points and seven rebounds against Central Connecticut.

“There wasn’t a play call,” Kelly said. “I just took it and went all the way. Instincts took over.”

The Red Flash (16-17) were voted to finish in a tie for last place in the NEC coaches poll, along with Stone Hill. Saint Francis was swept by Central Connecticut during the regular season and was a nine-point underdog.

“Anything is possible,” Kelly said. “We let the (poll) motivate us. We let the coaches think about us to allow us to attack this season. You can talk about how no one believed in us.”

Saint Francis and Central Connecticut State were tied 20-20 at halftime.

The teams went back and forth in the second half on a difficult shooting night for both. The Red Flash shot 31.7% (19-of-60) from the field and 19.2% (5-of-26) from the 3-point line.

The Blue Devils shot 17.6% (3-of-17) from the 3-point line.

“It was definitely a crazy, big-time game,” said Moncrief, an Evansville transfer who finished with five points. “It was one of the biggest games in a lot of our careers. It was a crazy environment. We had to be mentally focused.”

In the final minute, the momentum swung several times. Kelly set up Valentino Pinedo with a bounce pass that put the Red Flash ahead 43-41 with 33 seconds remaining.

The Blue Devils tied the score with 17 seconds left on a layup by Joe Ostrowsky. Kelly’s jumper let Saint Francis return to March Madness for the first time in a generation.

After Moncrief extended the lead to three with a free-throw with 1 second remaining, a half-court heave by Devin Haid went bouncing off the back iron, setting off a wild celebration.

“Lifting the trophy was a memorable moment, something I’ll never forget,” Moncrief said. “We put so much hard work in as a team. We don’t have too much time to celebrate. We have to lock in and keep rolling next week.”

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