NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – The Franklin men's basketball team faced a stiff test on Saturday (Jan. 28) afternoon in the Manchester Spartans, with the two teams battling for sole possession of second place in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC).
 
Franklin (12-7, 8-4 HCAC) saw their five-game winning streak halted by the Spartans (11-8, 9-3 HCAC) with Manchester taking the game 80-67.
 
How it Happened
A slow start on the offensive end proved disastrous for the Grizzlies, as they managed one field goal over the first 6:30 of play as Manchester jumped out to a 17-3 lead. The Spartans would lead by as many as 20 in the opening half, but a late surge from the Grizzlies got the deficit down to 39-26 when the teams headed into the locker room at halftime.
 
The Grizzlies clawed back to within seven at 60-53 with eight minutes to play, and again with 3:11 to go after a three from Cody Samples made it 70-63. But Manchester snuffed out the comeback bid down the stretch, closing out the game with a 10-4 run.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Samples led the Grizzlies with 13 points and three assists.
-Trey Flatt was the other Grizzly to reach double figures, finishing with 10 points.
-Franklin shot 42.3% (22-for-52) from the floor while the Spartans shot 44.1% (30-for-68) on the day.
-Lynn King had eight rebounds to lead the Grizzlies, who won the rebounding battle 39-38.
 
Up Next
Franklin's five-game road trip continues on Wednesday (Feb. 1) night when they head to Lexington, Ky. for a meeting with the Transylvania Pioneers. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.