DECATUR, Ill. – The Franklin men's basketball team hit the road for a Saturday (Nov. 30) evening showdown, taking on the Big Blue of Millikin University in a non-conference battle.
Franklin (3-2) fought back from a double-digit halftime deficit to take the lead late in the second half, but a wild final minute saw Millikin (3-3) come away with a 64-61 win with a winner at the buzzer.
How it Happened
Franklin's offense struggled to get into rhythm in the first half, with the Grizzlies knocking down six field goals and shooting 28.6%% from the field in the opening 20 minutes. Millikin scored the game's first eight points and would lead by as many as 14 in the first half before taking a 35-24 lead into the break.
The Grizzlies wasted no time wiping out that lead, opening the second half with a 14-2 run and taking their first lead of the night with a
Ryan Bostic triple that made it 38-37 with 14 minutes to play. A 10-2 Grizzly run midway through the second half gave Franklin their largest lead of the night at 54-49 with five minutes to go, but the Big Blue kept things close and took the lead back with a three that made it 59-58 with 59 seconds to go.
Jessie Morgan III put Franklin back in front with a layup with 35 seconds to play, but Millikin jumped back in front with 19 seconds to play with a jumper that made it 61-60.
Lynn King brought the Grizzlies even at the line with 7 seconds to play, but the Big Blue got a three-point play at the buzzer to steal the win.
Inside the Box Score
-Franklin shot 47.8% (22-for-46) from the field, going 6-for-21 from three and 11-for-20 from the line.
-King finished the night with a game-high 19 points and pulled down seven rebounds.
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Braden Flanagan finished in double figures with 13 points.
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Cody Samples tied for the team lead with seven boards.
-Morgan handed out a team-high four assists
Up Next
Franklin tips of Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) play on Wednesday (Dec. 4) night, taking on the #25-ranked Anderson Ravens in Franklin. Tip-off from the Spurlock Center is set for 7:30 p.m.
