FRANKLIN, Ind. – The Franklin College men's basketball team hosted the Rose-Hulman Engineers in a big Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) matchup on Wednesday (Jan. 5) night.

The Grizzlies (7-5, 3-2 HCAC) led for 29 minutes of game time, but a cold shooting spell down the stretch allowed the Engineers (8-3, 4-1 HCAC) to rally and take a 71-64 win back west.

How it Happened
The Grizzlies created some space between the two teams with a 9-2 run late in the first half on their way to a 32-29 halftime lead. Franklin's defense held Rose to just 30.6% from the field in the opening 20 minutes, but 10 Rose offensive rebounds that led to seven second chance points kept the Engineers within striking distance.

The Grizzlies' lead grew to a game-high 10 points with 9:36 to play after a bucket from Ryan Wiggins made it 52-42. But the Grizzlies went cold and Rose pounced, going on a 12-2 run to tie things up at 54 with five minutes to play. The Engineers closed out the game with a 13-3 run over the final 2:26 to grab a comeback win.

Inside the Box Score
-The Grizzlies shot 42.6% (23-for-54) from the floor, burying 10 three-pointers and going 8-for-9 at the line. Ty Wright and Matt Krause finished with 15 points each to lead the way in scoring for FC.
-Rebounding played a major factor in the outcome, with Rose holding a 50-29 edge on the glass. The Engineers got 16 second chance points on 20 offensive rebounds on the night.
-Franklin's six turnovers were a season low.

Up Next
The Grizzlies are on the road for each of the next two games, starting with a Saturday (Jan. 8) afternoon contest with the Anderson Ravens. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.