LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Franklin men's basketball team put a three-game winning streak on the line on Wednesday (Feb. 12) night, tipping off a three-game road trip against the Transylvania Pioneers.
 
Franklin (17-6, 13-3 HCAC) completed their first ever regular season sweep of the Pioneers (12-11, 10-6 HCAC), rallying in the second half to claim a 67-60 win and stay within striking distance of league-leading Anderson.
 
How it Happened
Franklin shook off an 11-2 Pioneer run to open the game, taking their first lead of the night 2:18 to go in the first half thanks to a Cooper Matthews layup off a turnover. Matthews sent the Grizzlies into the break with a 26-25 lead, netting a layup in the final seconds of the first half.
 
The Grizzlies took control of the game for good early in the second half with an 11-0 run that turned a two-point deficit into a 41-32 lead with 15 minutes to play. Franklin's lead grew to as many as 13 points in the second half before a late Pioneer charge cut the deficit to 59-55 with 1:25 to play. But the Grizzlies shut any further comeback down, pulling away over the final 85 seconds.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Franklin had three players finish in double figures, led by 14 points from Matthews.
-Jessie Morgan III added 12 points and Lynn King chipped in with 10.
-Franklin shot 39.7% (23-for-58) from the floor, knocking down six threes and going 15-for-19 from the line.
-Free throws played a big role in the outcome, with the Pioneers going just 4-for-10 from the charity stripe.
-Rebounds were 40-33 in the Pioneers' favor with Morgan pulling down a team-high eight boards.
-Malachi Archey led Franklin with four assists.
 
Up Next
The Grizzlies are back at it on Saturday (Feb. 15) afternoon, traveling to Hanover for a meeting with the Panthers. A win on Saturday would secure the No. 2 seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
 
Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.