DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Franklin College men's basketball team opened round two of Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) play on Saturday (Jan. 22) afternoon, taking on the Defiance Yellow Jackets in game two of three straight away from home.

The Grizzlies (8-9, 4-6 HCAC) were done in by a lengthy first half scoring drought that allowed the Yellow Jackets (6-8, 4-4 HCAC) to lead for the bulk of the afternoon in a 65-52 Defiance win.

How it Happened
Both teams struggled to get going offensively, with the game's first three minutes featuring no points before Carter Crowe broke the scoreless draw with a layup. The game featured three lead changes and two ties in the opening 10 minutes, but the game was put out of reach before halftime thanks to a seven-minute scoreless stretch by Franklin.

The Grizzlies improved their shooting in the second half to 45.5%, but the Grizzlies couldn't dig themselves out of the first half hole before the final whistle.

Inside the Box Score
-Franklin finished the day shooting 34.5% (19-for-55) from the floor. Ty Wright led the Grizzlies with 13 points with Jalen Love adding 12 points off the bench.
-TJ Deere returned to the lineup for the Grizzlies, finishing with eight points and a pair of rebounds in 14 minutes of action. 

Up Next
Franklin wraps up their road trip on Wednesday (Jan. 25) night, heading to Richmond, Ind. to take on the Earlham Quakers. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.