By: Jonah Decker, Athletic Communications Intern

FRANKLIN, Ind. – The Franklin men's basketball claimed their fourth straight win overall and sixth straight conference win on Saturday (Jan. 11), with an 85-64 victory over the Bluffton Beavers.

The Grizzlies (10-4, 6-1 HCAC) relied on a well-balanced scoring attack that was led by 14 points from Braden Flanagan and saw 10 players finish with at least five points. Defensively, Franklin held Bluffton (3-11, 2-5 HCAC) to 22.7% (5-for-22) from three and forced 15 turnovers in the decisive win.
 
How it Happened
The Grizzlies grabbed control of the game early with a 9-2 run to establish a 13-6 lead with four minutes gone. At the other end of the floor, Franklin held Bluffton without a point for more than six minutes midway through the opening half and that led to 16 unanswered points for the home side. The Grizzlies led by as many as 20 in the opening half and took a 37-23 lead into the break.
 
The second half opened with an 11-5 run by the Grizzlies to get the lead back to 20 at 48-28. Bluffton prevented the game from turning into a complete blowout, but Franklin's lead never dropped below 13 points over the final 20 minutes.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Hard-nosed defense also carried the Grizzlies to victory, as Bluffton shot 37.9% (22-for-58) from the field.
-Franklin hasn't allowed a team to score more than 70 points in any of their last eight games.
-The Grizzlies turned in another efficient offensive performance, shooting 48.1% (26-for-54) from the floor while knocking down 10 threes and 23 free throws.
-Cooper Matthews added 12 points while Cody Samples and Jesse Faires each finished with 10 points.
-Lynn King topped the home side with five assists and a pair of blocked shots.
-The Grizzlies' bench outscored Bluffton's reserves, 33-19.
-Franklin hit double-digit wins for the fastest time since 2004-05, with that team also opening the year 10-4.
-During their current four-game winning streak, the Grizzlies average margin of victory is 28 points.
 
Up Next
The Grizzlies will finish their current homestand on Wednesday (Jan. 15) night, taking on the Transylvania Pioneers at 7:30 p.m.