This is the first of what will eventually be capsules for each of the NYC teams when I’m sure their season has concluded.

Team: St. Francis (NY)

Record: 15-15 (12-6 in the NEC); season ended by 80-72 loss to Quinnipiac in NEC Quarterfinals

Season High: Winning at Robert Morris on Jan. 28, 81-68 to go to 8-2 in NEC play.

Season Low: Losing at Colgate 65-63 to drop to 2-6 overall.

Really Good At: Defense — The Terriers finished second in the NEC in per possession defensive efficiency. They were also an excellent defensive rebounding team on most nights.

Struggled With: Turnovers — SFC finished 10th in the NEC in turnover percentage – in a generally turnover prone league. Young players moving into new roles sometimes struggled with trying to do too much. It got better as the season progressed.

Key Losses:

• Stefan Perunicic (11.6 PPG, 42.4% from three)
• Justin Newton (defense, toughness and maturity at the point guard position)

Key Returnees:

• Akeem Johnson, Jr., F
• Jalen Cannon, Fr., F
• Brent Jones, Fr., G
• Dre Calloway, Sr., G (returns after missing most of 2011-12 to injury)

Key Quotes:

“I’m really happy that I had an opportunity to work with them. I wish them the best of luck and it was a really good season for me.” — Stefan Perunicic

“We put [the freshman] in the gym at the beginning of the year it was like mice running around. They had a lot of energy, but it was in a lot of different directions. It still is, but we’re getting better.” — Glenn Braica

“He was thrown to the fire. Some nights he played great. Some nights he struggled, but it’s all going to be better for him in the future. We’re going to get a lot of bang for our buck next year because of what he went through this year. He’s a very talented kid. He’s a hard worker. He’s got the right attitude. He’s a good kid and I just think he’s going to get better and better.” — Braica on Brent Jones

Outlook: Very positive. The Terriers surprised everyone this season by earning a home NEC tournament game after being picked to finish 11th in the conference before the season began. It earned head coach Glenn Braica the Jim Phelan NEC Coach of the Year award and there was a legitimate argument to be made that rebounding machine Jalen Cannon could’ve been the NEC’s Freshman of the Year as well. The majority of the core will return and it should give SFC the chance to compete for a home playoff game and more next season. Braica said that he expects to start at a higher level next season and that the team should progress quicker. Both suggest a tough team to contend with in Brooklyn Heights next season.