FRANKLIN - The Franklin men's basketball team capped a three-game homestand on Wednesday (Jan. 3) night, picking up a hard-fought 64-61 win over Rose-Hulman. 

Junior Malachi Archey had a career-high 18 points and the Grizzlies (5-7, 3-2 HCAC) fought off the Engineers (3-9, 1-4 HCAC) to snap a two-game skid. 

Franklin rebounded from a slow start with a 9-0 run to take their first lead of the game at 17-15 with 10 minutes to play in the opening half. Franklin wouldn't trail the rest of the night, eventually stretching their lead to 37-32 at the break and holding the Engineers to under 40% shooting in the opening half. 

The Grizzlies led by as many as nine in the second half, but Rose refused to go away quietly, eventually tying the game at 59 with 2:44 to go. A Jesse Faires free throw followed by a layup from Jesse Morgan restored a three-point lead for the Grizzlies and the defense took over from there, forcing Rose to a pair of difficult shots with the chance to take the lead. After gifting the Engineers a layup with a three-point lead, Archey sealed the win with two free throws at the other end.

Inside the Box Score
-Archey recorded the first double-digit game of his Franklin career, going 6-for-9 from the floor and splashing a team-high four three-pointers. 
-Morgan added 14 to join his teammate in double figures.
-Faires and Ryan Bostic tied for the team lead with six rebounds each. 
-Franklin held Rose-Hulman to 38.6% (22-for-57) shooting and 7-for-27 from three.
-The Griz bench played an instrumental role in the win with 35 points coming from FC reserves.

Up Next
Franklin hits the road for the start of a three-game road trip on Saturday (Jan. 6), taking on the Bluffton Beavers. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.