FRANKLIN – The Franklin men's basketball got back in the win column on Saturday (Dec. 9), putting together a big second half for an 80-75 win over the Earlham Quakers.
 
Franklin (4-5, 2-1 HCAC) blistered the nets in the second half, shooting nearly 70% from the field over the final 20 minutes to earn the comeback win over the Quakers (0-8, 0-3 HCAC).
 
How it Happened
The opening half saw the Grizzlies struggle to get into a rhythm offensively, and Earlham held their largest lead of the day at 30-23 with 4:36 to go in the opening half. Franklin closed out the opening period by out-scoring the Quakers 8-3, with a buzzer-beater from Jacob Deere cutting the deficit to 33-31 at the break.
 
Franklin grabbed the lead for good with a 12-0 run early in the second half and kept the Quakers at bay the rest of the game. A Jack Hendricks layup with four minutes to go gave the Grizzlies their biggest lead of the day at 70-60, but Earlham charge back to within one possession in the final minute. Earlham had a look at a game-tying three in with 18 seconds to go, but that shot missed and the Grizzlies finished things off at the free throw line.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Franklin shot 53.6% (30-for-56) from the field and 69.2% (18-for-26) over the final 20 minutes.
-Lynn King and Jack Hendricks each had 18 points for Franklin with Dylan Beverly and Braden Flanagan reaching double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
-King finished with a game-high nine rebounds as Franklin finished with a 34-23 edge on the glass.
-The Grizzlies finished with a 36-28 scoring edge in the paint and got 30 points from their bench to 14 for the Quakers.
-The win gives Franklin eight straight wins over Earlham.
 
Up Next
Franklin is back at home next Saturday (Dec. 16), hosting the DePauw Tigers in non-conference action. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.