FRANKLIN, Ind. – The Franklin College men's basketball team tipped off the 2021-22 regular season on Wednesday (Nov. 10) night in front of a raucous Spurlock Center crowd that waited 656 days to see the team in action. 

The Grizzlies (0-1) welcomed the Otterbein Cardinals (1-0) to town for the opener. The home side rallied from down by double figures in the second half to tie the game with 10 minutes to go, but Otterbein used a big run down the stretch to pull away and earn a 76-66 win.

How it Happened
The Cardinals jumped out to an early 9-3 lead before Franklin rallied back and cut the deficit to two at 13-11 with Reggie McDonald knocked down a jumper from just outside the paint. But a 9-2 Otterbein run followed, giving the visitors some breathing room and eventually, a 39-30 lead at the half.

The Cardinals' lead grew to as many as 12 early in the second half before Franklin fought their way back to even things up at 50 with a 16-4 run. But the momentum wouldn't last and the Cardinals put things out of reach with a 21-5 run over a seven-minute stretch.

Inside the Box Score
-Senior Matt Krause led the Grizzlies with 17 points while TJ Deere had 13 points in his Franklin debut.
-The Grizzlies shot 43.9% (25-for-57) from the floor, 53.8% (7-for-13) from three and 47.4% (9-for-19) from the free throw line.
-Rebounds played a key role in the game, with Otterbein out-rebounding the Grizzlies 39-26. The Cardinals turned 13 offensive rebounds into 21 second chance points. Ryan Wiggins led Franklin with six rebounds.
-Six Grizzlies made their career debuts in the game. Deere, McDonald, Mitch O'Mara, Logan Hudgins, Lynn King and Trey Flatt suited up in the blue and gold for the first time.

Up Next
Franklin begins a three-game road trip on Saturday, Nov. 20, when they travel to Aurora, Ill. to take on Aurora University. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m.