LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the first time since the 2007-08 season, the Franklin men's basketball team have claimed the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) tournament championship.

The Grizzlies (9-6) capped off a stellar run through the conference tournament that saw them win three straight road games en route to the program's fifth conference tournament championship. The final one was never in doubt, as Franklin led for almost 35 minutes of game action in a 73-54 win over host Transylvania University (8-9).

After the game, junior Matt Krause was named the tournament MVP with Ismail Jones earning a place on the all-tournament team. 

How it Happened
Transylvania held an 11-10 lead with 15:33 to go in the opening half, having led the game since its first possession. It would be the final time on the night the Pioneers would hold a lead, with Franklin out-scoring Transy 16- 7 over the next 10 minutes of play. Franklin's defense was the story of the opening half, holding the potent Pioneer offense to 25% (9-for-36) from the field over the first 20 minutes to take a 35-24 lead into the break.

Both sides sputtered offensive to open the second half and the Pioneers were able to claw back within seven at 39-32 after a Lucas Gentry three-point play five minutes into the half. Franklin responded and stretched their lead to 16 points but the Pioneers showed some fight and used an 11-2 run to get within 54-47 with five minutes to go.

That proved to be as close as the hosts would come as Krause buried a four-point play on Franklin's next trip down the floor and the defense would limit Transy to just seven points the rest of the way.

Inside the Box Score
-Franklin held the Pioneers to 32.8% (22-for-67) from the floor and 14.3% (3-for-21) from behind the three-point line. Both numbers were season lows by a Grizzly opponent.
-Jones led all players with 18 points, going 7-for-7 from the floor and 1-for-1 from long range. Ty Wright added 13 points and Krause finished with 13 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.
-Franklin pulled down 44 rebounds to 30 for the Pioneers, marking the third straight game the Grizzlies held the edge in the rebounding battle.

Griz Bytes
Head coach Brian Lebowitz on the senior class:
"I'm most happy for our group of seniors. They've faced so much adversity during their careers and they all willed us to this point. Their hard work and leadership were so valuable all year long and their play on the floor set the tone for us every night."

Lebowitz on the end of the season:
"We're disappointed we don't have the chance to play in a national tournament but how many players can say they had the chance to end their careers with a win? Our guys get to go out on a high note."

On the abbreviated season
"It's been so much fun to coach this group of players. We had a lot of guys step up and make plays all tournament long. This league is full of good teams and it's hard to win on the road. We played three road games in this tournament and we played three great games. That's a credit to our players and I'm excited to celebrate this win with our players and our staff."