WPIAL
Pittsburgh Native Sends St. Francis to NCAA Tournament with Game Winner
On Tuesday, Robert Morris notably clinched a spot in the upcoming NCAA Tournament by winning the Horizon League.
However, Bobby Mo won’t be the only Pittsburgh connection to this year’s big dance.
Shortly following the RMU win over Youngstown State, St. Francis (PA) also clinched a spot in March Madness with a win over Central Connecticut State in the NEC Championship. This was a major upset, as St. Francis came into the game with a 15-17 record, while CCSU was 25-6 leading into the contest.
The Red Flash secured the win in a tight-knit game with a game-winning jump shot from none other than Pittsburgh native Daemar Kelly, who played his high-school basketball at Penn Hills.
Check out Kelly’s shot here.
DAEMAR KELLY SENT 15-17 SAINT FRANCIS TO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT WITH THIS GAME WINNER 🔥
THIS IS MARCH.
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) March 12, 2025
Kelly scored 1,000+ points in his high-school career at Penn Hills, leading his team to a WPIAL Class 5a title. He was a three-time member of the All-Section team, and earned Section 5 POY honors in his junior year after averaging more than 17 points per game.
Kelly committed to Quinnipiac out of high school and played in 26 games there in 2023-24. He then transferred to St. Francis and has had a solid year for the Red Flash, starting all 33 games and averaging eight points per game.
St. Francis is now the champion of the Northeast Conference and awaits its first-round matchup in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Stay tuned on Selection Sunday to find out who they will play.
