FRANKLIN, Ind. - League play tipped off around the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) on Wednesday (Dec. 4) night and the Franklin women's basketball team welcomed the Hanover Panthers to the Spurlock for game two of a five-game homestand. 

The Grizzlies (2-2, 0-1 HCAC) fell behind their long-time rival early and Hanover (2-3, 1-0 HCAC) would lead by as many as 19 points in the second half. A fourth quarter push would wittle the lead down to as little as six points, but the Grizzlies' comeback bid fell just short in a 70-58 defeat.

Franklin grabbed an early lead when Jenna Cowart knocked down a triple to make it 5-2 less than two minutes in, but the Grizzlies would struggle from the floor over the next six minutes, connecting on just one field goal as the Panthers rattled off a 13-2 run to take a 15-7 lead. Consecutive buckets from Bayleigh Walker and Cassidy Yant closed out the opening quarter, bringing Franklin within five at 18-13 after 10 minutes of action. 

Back-to-back jumpers from Walker brought the Grizzlies within a possession late in the second quarter, cutting Hanover's lead down to 28-25 with a little less than four minutes to go before the half. But the Panthers stifled Franklin's offense the rest of the period, closing out the half with a 7-1 run to take a 35-26 edge into the locker room. 

The Grizzlies' cold stretch carried over into the second half with Franklin managing just three field goals over the first nine minutes of the third quarter, allowing the Panthers to stretch their lead to 19. Lindsay Freije closed out the period with seven straight points as Hanover held a 55-39 edge going into the fourth quarter. 

With time running low, the Grizzlies stormed back into the game with a 10-0 run to open the final quarter and cut the deficit to six points with six minutes to play. That was as close as the Grizzlies would get, as the Panthers had an answer for the Grizzlies whenever they would get within two possessions.

Walker notched her first double-double of the year with 21 points and 11 rebounds, leading Franklin in both categories. Franklin shot 39.7% (23-for-58) from the feld, going 4-for-13 from three and 8-for-16 from the line. Rebounds were 37-36 in Hanover's favor with Franklin's holding a 21-13 advantage in points from the bench. Taylor McDaniel had a game-high seven assists in 32 minutes of action as Franklin assisted on 21 of its 23 field goals on the night. 

Next up for the Grizzlies is a conference showdown with the Bluffton Beavers on Saturday (Dec. 7) afternoon as part of a double-header inside the Spurlock Center. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m.