FRANKLIN – The Franklin women's basketball team returned to Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) play on Saturday (Dec. 10) afternoon, hosting the Manchester Spartans for the team's first league home game of the campaign.
 
Sophomore Taylor Cooney netted a career-high 18 points and Franklin (4-3, 2-1 HCAC) used a suffocating defensive performance to record their third straight win and hand Manchester (5-3, 2-1 HCAC) their first league loss of the year, 57-45.
 
How it Happened
-The Grizzlies grabbed the lead in the opening minute and never let it go, starting the game off with a 10-2 run. The lead would grow to 10 before a late first period run from Manchester cut the Franklin lead to 16-12 after one period. Franklin ripped off an 11-2 run to open the second period but a late first half lull on the offensive end allowed the Spartans to get back in the game by the half, with Franklin taking a 28-23 lead into the intermission.
 
Four straight Spartan points opened the second half and got the Franklin lead down to a point, but the Grizzlies held off their rival's push to take the lead and headed into the final quarter leading 46-37. Franklin relied on their defense to put the game away in the fourth, limiting the Spartans to just three field goals over the final 10 minutes as they closed out the win.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Cooney was an efficient 6-for-8 from the floor, knocking down all four of her threes and both free throws she attempted. Cooney added eight rebounds and a team-high four assists.
-Georgia Hanauer added 10 points and led the team with nine rebounds.
-Franklin shot 40.4% (23-for-57) from the floor, going 5-for-15 from three. At the other end, the Grizzlies held the Spartans to just 27.6% (16-for-58) from the field and 3-for-18 from deep.
-Rebounds were 42-41 in Franklin's favor.
-Sarah O'Day had a team-high three steals and was a team-best +18 in 38 minutes of action.
 
Up Next
Franklin heads to Louisville, Ky. on Monday (Dec. 12) night for an exhibition contest against Division I Bellarmine University. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.