FRANKLIN – Fresh off of a 10-day break, the Franklin men's basketball team played their final home game of the 2024 calendar year on Saturday (Dec. 28) afternoon when they hosted the #4-ranked team in the nation and defending national champion Trine Thunder in the Spurlock Center. 

The Grizzlies (6-4) gave it their all against their national power counterpart, but a slow start on offense proved costly as the Thunder (8-1) raced out to a double-digit lead early and held on for a 65-50 win. 

How it Happened
Trine rushed out to an 18-3 lead in the game's opening nine minutes, with Franklin connecting on just one of their first 12 field goal attempts. The Grizzlies relied on their defense to keep the game from getting out of hand, holding the Thunder to 42.4% (14-for-33) from the field in the opening half and keeping the deficit at 34-20 at halftime. 

Franklin continued to chip away at the Trine lead after the break, getting the lead down to eight at 39-31 three minutes into the final 20 minutes following a fast break layup from Cooper Matthews. But an 8-2 Trine run followed Franklin's early push, putting the Thunder back in control and the lead in double figures, where it would remain for the rest of the night. 

Inside the Box Score
-Seniors Lynn King tied for the team lead with 14 points and finished just shy of a double-double with a team-leading nine rebounds. 
-Braden Flanagan matched King's 14 points, knocking down a team-high four three-pointers. 
-Defensively, the Grizzlies limited Trine to 40.3% (25-for-62) shooting and 28.6% (6-for-21) from long distance. 
-Franklin won the turnover battle by an 18-15 count and the points off turnover comparison, 17-10.

Up Next
Franklin is back at it on Monday (Dec. 30) night, heading to Louisville, Ky. to take on the Spalding Golden Eagles in their final non-conference game of the year. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m.