By: Jonah Decker, Athletic Communications Intern

FRANKLIN, Ind. – Franklin women's basketball team bounced back in a big way on Saturday (Jan. 11) afternoon, picking up a win over Bluffton in their first home game of the new year.
 
The Grizzlies (11-3, 5-2 HCAC) battled the Beavers (7-7, 1-6 HCAC) in a back-and-forth battle that featured 12 lead changes and six ties. But a huge second half from freshman Erica Buening and a strong shooting performance over the final 20 minutes from the home side proved the difference in a 75-72 Franklin win.
 
How it Happened 
Bluffton took command of the game in the first quarter with the Grizzlies going just 4-for-14 from the field in the opening 10 minutes. Bluffton led by as many as seven in the opening period, but Franklin kept it close with nine points off eight Beaver turnovers and faced a 16-11 deficit after one quarter.
 
The Beavers extended their lead to a game-high eight points early in the second, but Franklin fought back with a strong finish to the opening half and headed into the locker room tied at 30 thanks to a buzzer-beater layup from Taylor Cooney.
 
The two sides traded buckets and kept things close throughout the third quarter, as neither side led by more than three points and the lead changed 10 times in total.  Cooney collected the final bucket of the third, sending the Grizzlies into the final period nursing a 51-50 lead.
 
An 8-2 run early in the fourth gave the Grizzlies their largest lead of the game at 61-54, but Bluffton countered with a 9-2 stretch to knot the game up at 63 with four minutes to play. But Buening stepped up in crunch time, netting the Grizzlies' next eight points to restore a seven-point lead with less than a minute to play and send Franklin on to victory.
 
Inside the Box Score 
-Franklin shot 46.0% (29-for-63) from the field, going 17-for-29 from the floor in the second half.
-The Grizzlies out-scored Bluffton 21-6 off turnovers 
-In addition to setting a new career-high with 22 points, Buening led the Grizzlies with six rebounds.
-Cooney finished with 17 points and tied for the team lead with three assists.
-After a scoreless first half, Jordan Coon stepped up with 15 second half points and buried a team-high three three-pointers.
-Every Franklin player that saw the floor handed out an assist, with the team recording 19 helpers on the night.
-Briley Munchel was a menace on defense, setting a career-high with five steals.
 
Up Next 
The Grizzlies will travel to Lexington, Ky. on Wednesday (Jan. 15) night to take on the conference-leading Transylvania. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.