Longhorns put perfect mark on line versus Red Flash

Nov 25, 2014 - 5:05 PM Austin, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Facing their first ranked team in nearly three years, the Red Flash of Saint Francis-PA have made the trek south to challenge the seventh-ranked Texas Longhorns.

Saint Francis began the campaign with a pair of losses to Cincinnati (52-37) and American (49-46), both on the road, but has since bounced back to win two straight home games, topping Keystone (102-69) and Maryland Eastern Shore (57-53). The Red Flash are beginning a three-game road trek tonight.

Texas is a perfect 4-0 to start the season, the team having posted double- digit wins over North Dakota State (85-50), Alcorn State (85-53), Iowa (71-57) and California (71-55), the last two in New York City to wrap up the 2K Classic. Following this clash, the Longhorns will head back to the northeast to tangle with the defending national champion Connecticut Huskies on Sunday, and they will battle top-ranked Kentucky in Lexington less than a week later.

This game marks the first meeting between these two schools in men's basketball.

Earl Brown logged a double-double consisting of 19 points and 10 rebounds to help push the Red Flash to their recent win over Maryland Eastern Shore. Ben Millaud-Meunier came off the bench to net 13 points as the only other double- digit scorer for SFU, which made good on 47.6 percent of its field goal attempts, which included the draining of seven 3-pointers. The Red Flash won the rebounding battle (31-25), but committed 16 turnovers to allow the Hawks to hang around despite their own offensive woes (.417 FG percentage, .250 3- point FG percentage).

For the season, Brown is averaging a team-best 14 ppg, while also spearheading the rebounding effort with 7.8 rpg. Malik Harmon adds 10.8 ppg to the team's bottom line, which sits at 60.5 ppg. Defensively, the Red Flash are permitting only 55.8 ppg, with foes hitting just 39.6 percent of their total shots, which includes a 24.4 percent showing from long range. SFU will need to cut down the turnovers moving forward, as it is guilty of 16 miscues per outing.

Jonathan Holmes notched a double-double of his own in the Longhorns' recent win over California, netting 21 points and pulling down 13 rebounds. Demarcus Holland was the only other UT player to reach double figures in scoring, as he tallied 11 points thanks to a perfect 7-of-7 effort at the charity stripe. The team made good on just 38.8 percent of its field goal attempts, missing 8- of-11 3-point shots in the process. Defensively, however, the 'Horns were on point in holding the Golden Bears to 31.3 percent field goal efficiency, which included a dismal 3-of-12 effort from long range. Cal was only 12-of-22 at the free-throw line.

Holmes (16.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and Isaiah Taylor (15.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.3 apg) are the only two double-digit scorers for Texas at the moment, although four others average at least 7.0 ppg. As a team, the Longhorns are shooting 47.8 percent from the floor, while permitting the enemy just a 29.5 percent success rate. As a result, they are lighting up the scoreboard for 78 ppg while their foes do so for just over 53 ppg. UT has owned the glass thus far, coming into this matchup with a +12.2 rebounding margin.