WEST Australian product Riley Parker has put together a fantastic Junior campaign for the St. Francis Red Flash this college basketball season. In just his first year of NCAA basketball, he has established himself as a reliable combo guard, able to handle, pass and score the ball.

Parker, six-foot-two, has played 31.8 minutes per game in his inaugural college season, immediately becoming the Red Flash’s leading scorer, as well as leading his side in assists. The silky mover has shot the ball with high efficiency, posting percentage splits of 48, 40 and 86 per cent from the field, three-point line and free throw line respectively. These shooting numbers have allowed Parker to become one of the best guards in the NEC and sets him up for a huge 2025 NCAA Tournament run. 

St. Francis began the season poorly, dropping four of their first five games. They continued a losing trend to sit 5-9 before beginning conference play, where they would lose their first two games as well. In fact, the Red Flash were just 10-17 halfway through February and looking at an early season finish. Since then, though, something flipped for head coach Rob Krimmel’s team.

They played in three consecutive overtime games against Le Moyne, Chicago State and Stonehill, winning them all by a combined margin of just 11 points, and used the momentum of these clutch victories to climb to an even 8-8 conference record and sneak into the postseason. 

St. Francis would then go on to beat Wagner in their first NEC tournament game and advance to the semi-finals where they met Long Island University. Parker dropped 16 points, five rebounds and four steals to lead the Red Flash to their first postseason victory. 

LIU went 12-4 this season and St. Francis were major underdogs coming in. 13 points and three triples from Parker, as well as 20 points from fellow backcourt member Juan Crawford Jr. saw the Red Flash come back from a 15-point halftime deficit to outscore their opponents 48-30 in the second half and run out three-point winners in spectacular fashion as Crawford Jr was fouled on a last second heave from beyond the arc. He nailed all three shots at the line and with an LIU miss at the buzzer, St. Francis advanced to the NEC championship game to take on the Central Connecticut Blue Devils. 

The Blue Devils had lost just seven games all season, and only two in conference play. By Far the standout team in the NEC, having won 18 of their last 20 games including 14 straight entering the championship match, St. Francis were a true Cinderella story. The Blue Devile 14 consecutive wins was the longest active win streak in the entire nation.

The Red Flash were up to the challenge though, breaking even at 20-20 in a defensive showcase through the first half. Though they struggled to make shots themselves, St. Francis restricted CCSU to just 30% shooting from the field and a lowly 18 per cent from three-point range. 

The second half was just as tight and just as low scoring, neither team able to break the deadlock. Crawford Jr once again led the Red Flash in scoring, as he kept his side within single digits of the Blue Devils the entire half.

With 7:20 remaining, the ball was swung to Parker who knocked down a vital shot from long distance, the ball hanging on the rim as if sensing the moment, giving the Red Flash a 40-37 lead. In an incredibly tense period, only one point, a St. Francis free throw, was scored for the next five minutes as both teams desperately fought for possession of the ball. 

Devin Haid tied the game at 41-41 with 1:42 left on a jumper, before Valentino Pinedo snuck inside for a layup to give the underdogs a two-point advantage with 33 seconds on the clock. With just 17 seconds left in the championship game, Joe Ostrowsky made a layup for the Blue Devils to once again tie the game. Almost immediately the Red Flash ran the ball up the floor, Chris Moncrief stopping on a dime and pulling up to hit a game winning jumpshot that would be the difference in the end. St. Francis won by three points to go dancing in March Madness in 2025.

It is the first NEC Championship for the Red Flash since 1991, and just the second ever ticket they’ve punched to the NCAA Tournament. They enter the first four of March Madness as undeniably the biggest wildcard after stunning the country in their Cinderella run and will be desperate to continue their shocking win streak heading into the tournament. 

Parker is arguably the only Australian who will be ‘leading’ his team in their tournament run and will be a fascinating watch as this remarkable story continues to unfold. The St. Francis Red Flash take on Alabama State on Wednesday morning as they seek to advance once more to the main bracket. They have a real shot to do so and take on the number one seed in the South Region in Auburn, where a win would stun the world as this incredible Cinderella story unveils itself.