NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – The Franklin women's basketball team wrapped up a long road trip on Wednesday (Jan. 8) night, taking on the Manchester Spartans.
 
The Grizzlies (10-3, 4-2 HCAC) fell into an early hole thanks to a hot-shooting Manchester (6-6, 3-3 HCAC) side and spent the rest of the game playing catch-up. The Grizzlies erased a double-digit lead by the fourth quarter, but ran out of gas as the Spartans held on for a 79-70 win.
 
How it Happened
Manchester's offense was the big story in the first quarter, with the Spartans going 12-for-14 from the field and drilling all three triples to race out to a 28-15 lead after one quarter. The Grizzlies' defense got the Spartans to slow down after the first, but the Griz faced an uphill climb in the second half and trailed 40-30 at the break.
 
Franklin made a push to get back within a possession by the end of the third quarter, with a Molly Schulte buzzer-beater closing out the frame and getting the Grizzlies within a possession at 54-51. The Grizzlies sat within a possession at 63-60 with seven minutes to play, but an 11-2 Manchester run over the next three minutes proved too much to overcome.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Jordan Coon led the scoring charge for Franklin with 28 points, going 10-for-19 from the floor.
-Taylor Cooney added 15 points and tied with Erica Buening for the team lead with five boards.
-The Grizzlies shot 41.7% (25-for-60) from the field, with Manchester knocking down 50.9% (29-for-57) of their field goal attempts on the night.
 
Up Next
Franklin returns to action at home on Saturday (Jan. 11) afternoon, hosting the Bluffton Beavers. Tip-off from the Spurlock Center is set for 2:00 p.m.