BEREA, Ky. – The Franklin men's basketball team met the Berea Mountaineers on Saturday (Dec. 14) afternoon in the first ever conference matchup between the two programs.
 
The Grizzlies (5-3, 2-1 HCAC) were in control for nearly the entire night, trailing for less than a minute in total as they claimed a 68-60 victory over the Mountaineers (4-4, 0-3 HCAC) for their second straight win.
 
How it Happened
Franklin grabbed the lead early on and put some space between the two sides with an 11-2 run that gave Franklin a double-digit lead at 21-9 with 10:27 to go in the opening half. The Grizzlies' lead ballooned to as many as 17 in the opening half before they would settle on a 35-20 advantage at the intermission.
 
The Grizzlies' lead stayed in double figures for the bulk of the second half before a late charge from the Mountaineers cut the down to six points with a minute to play. But it proved to be too late of a push for the home side to get back in the game, and Franklin nailed down the win with some clutch free throw shooting in the final minute.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Franklin's offense turned in an efficient performance, knocking down 51% (26-for-51) of their shots while going 5-for-13 from three and 11-for-18 from the line.
-Defensively, the Grizzlies kept the Mountaineers to 45.3% (24-for-53) shooting on the afternoon.
-Cody Samples topped the Grizzlies with 13 points, one of four Franklin players to hit double figures.
-Lynn King and Braden Flanagan added 11 points each and Jessie Morgan III chipped in with 10 points.
-Rebounds were 32-28 in Berea's favor, with King grabbing a team-high six boards.
-Turnovers played a major factor in the win, with Franklin forcing 18 turnovers that became 15 points at the other end of the floor.
 
Up Next
Franklin heads back out on the road on Wednesday (Dec. 18) for a matchup with the Mount St. Joseph Lions. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.