FRANKLIN – A return to action on their home floor proved to be just what the Franklin men's basketball team needed, as they snapped a four-game slide with a 63-59 win over the Bluffton Beavers on Saturday (Feb. 11) afternoon.
 
Senior Carter Crowe had a team-high 18 points but it was Franklin's (13-10, 9-7 HCAC) defense that brought home the win in the final minute, stuffing the Beavers (5-18, 3-13 HCAC) on several possessions when the visitors were in search of the tying or go-ahead bucket. The win secured a winning regular season for the Grizzlies as well as a spot in the 2023 conference tournament.
 
How it Happened
Franklin opened the game with a 9-2 run but Bluffton battled back to take a 15-14 lead with seven minutes to go in the opening half. The entire opening period saw three lead changes and a pair of ties, but some hot shooting late in the half from Bluffton's Cam Rogers sent the Beavers into the break with a 32-28 lead.
 
Franklin surged out to their largest lead of the game thanks to an 11-0 run early in the second half that made it 44-35 with 13 minutes to play. But Bluffton answered with 10 straight points of their own and the teams sat tied at 52 with six minutes to play. That final six minutes produced one tie and five lead changes, the final coming with 44 seconds to play after Ryan Bostic's running floater made it 60-59.
 
The Grizzlies dug in on the Beavers' next trip down the floor, forcing three misses before Lynn King grabbed a rebound and drew a foul. After knocking down the first, King missed the second but Logan Hudgins was able to wrestle the rebound away from three Beavers and draw a foul. Hudgins iced the game at the line, sinking both free throws with a second left on the clock.
 
Inside the Box Score
-The Grizzlies shot 36.5% (19-for-52) from the floor, knocking down eight threes and going 17-for-18 from the free throw line.
-Bostic finished with 12 points and Trey Flatt added 10 off the bench for Franklin.
-The Grizzly defense forced 20 Bluffton turnovers.
 
Up Next
Franklin hits the road for the final time in the regular season on Tuesday (Feb. 14), heading to Ohio to take on the Mount St. Joseph Lions. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.