Rather than loading its nonconference schedule with overmatched opponents to stack up easy wins, Franklin women's basketball chose to challenge itself in an effort to prepare itself for the best that the HCAC has to offer.

Despite a .500 record, the results so far have been encouraging. 

On Sunday afternoon, the Grizzlies faced off against an unbeaten Denison team that was fresh off of a victory against reigning HCAC champion Transylvania, and they held their own throughout before suffering a 76-70 defeat in the closing game of the Sara Lee Classic.

"We didn't finish how we wanted for the weekend, but we battled until the end," Franklin coach Ashley Blanch said. "Denison is a solid team, and it shows that we can compete with any team."

Down three after the first quarter, the Grizzlies (2-2) fell behind by a 23-13 margin early in the second but fought back with an 8-0 run, cutting it to two on a Payton Seay bucket with 4:10 to go in the half. The host Big Red built their lead back to seven before a Briley Munchel 3-pointer and paint baskets by Seay and Jordan Coon got the visitors back within 34-31 by halftime.

Franklin briefly took the lead, 38-37, on a three-point play by Molly Schulte at the 6:34 mark of the third quarter, but a 9-0 Denison run put the Grizzlies back in a 49-40 hole. Yet again, Blanch's team rallied, eventually creeping back to within a point when Erica Buening hit a 3 to make it 61-60 with 5:06 remaining in the game. It was still a two-point contest approaching the two-minute mark before the Big Red scored consecutive baskets to give itself sufficient breathing room.

Coon scored 16 points to lead four Grizzlies in double figures, and she also had a team-high six rebounds. Seay added 14 points, while Buening had 12 off the bench and Munchel contributed 10. 

Schulte, who scored eight points to follow up her team-leading 19 in Saturday's win over Marietta, was named to the all-tournament team.

Though the end result on Sunday wasn't what Franklin wanted, the team feels good about where it stands with its league opener just two and a half weeks away.

"We are very encouraged with the pieces we have," Blanch said, "and are looking forward to putting it all together before conference play."

The Grizzlies are back on the road Wednesday (Nov. 19) against Spalding.