FRANKLIN, Ind. – A dramatic comeback and a dominant second half effort landed the Franklin women's basketball team the biggest win of their young season on Saturday (Dec. 2) afternoon.
 
Franklin (4-1, 1-0 HCAC) erased a 25-point first half deficit in their Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) opener to stun the Anderson Ravens (3-4, 0-2 HCAC) for a 92-87 win.
 
How it Happened
The Ravens smothered Franklin in the opening period, jumping out to a 32-16 lead after 10 minutes with a full-court press that force nine Franklin turnovers playing a major role. Anderson's lead grew to its largest of the day at 48-23 with 4:37 to go in the first half, but the Grizzlies closed out the opening half with a 12-4 run to get the lead down to 52-35 by halftime.
 
The Grizzlies rode their late first half momentum into the third quarter, starting the third quarter with a 17-6 run and finishing the frame with a 15-3 to tie things up at 67 with a quarter to play. Jordan Coon gave Franklin their first lead of the day with a layup to open the fourth quarter, but the Ravens held an 81-75 lead with 3:58 to play.
 
Franklin spent the next three minutes clawing their way back to within a score and re-took the lead with 58 seconds to go after a Lauren Barker layup. Georgia Hanauer and Lauryn Bates added buckets on Franklin's next two possessions and Barker put the game away with two free throws in the dying seconds, capping a dominant final minute.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Franklin shot 39.4% (28-for-47) from the floor but the Grizzlies dominated the game on the glass. Franklin finished the night with a 63-39 rebounding advantage, swiping 28 offensive rebounds that led to 27 second-chance points.
-Freshman Payton Seay gave the Griz a career performance off the bench, leading the team in scoring (23 pts) and rebounds (12) for the first double-double of her career. 11 of her 12 rebounds came down on the offensive end.
-Coon added 20 points and grabbed four boards to lead all Franklin starters.
-Hanauer chipped in with 12 points and Barker finished with 10 to go along with a team-high five assists.
-Bates narrowly missed out on a double-double, grabbing 11 boards to go along with nine points.
-Franklin's bench carried the scoring load with 69 points.
 
Up Next
The Grizzlies continue their four-game homestand on Wednesday (Dec. 6) when they host defending national champion and #2-ranked Transylvania. Tip-off from the Spurlock Center is set for 7:00 p.m.