On a night where the shots weren't dropping as hoped, Franklin men's basketball knew it could still rely on its defense.

Forcing 23 turnovers and dominating on the boards, the Grizzlies pulled away for a 70-46 victory at Earlham on Saturday afternoon.

"This week has required a lot of toughness both on and off the court," Griz coach Chris Hamilton said. "Mentally and physically, our guys have displayed time and time again what it takes to figure it out. And isn't that the fun of it? Figuring it out. Offensively and defensively, I'm proud of the commitment level of this group to come together and find a way to win."

Though it shot just 37.7% from the field on the day, Franklin (11-7, 7-4 HCAC) made its first four — all at the rim — in building a quick 8-0 lead, a spurt punctuated by a Dylan Beverly dunk. The Grizzlies eventually stretched the early cushion to 22-8 and rolled into the half with a 38-23 advantage.

Zaryen Moore knocked down a 3-pointer with 17:43 left in the game to make it 42-23, and the Grizzlies maintained at least a 15-point edge the rest of the way.

Justin Harrington led a balanced Franklin offense with 17 points off the bench. Avery Saunders added 11 points and seven rebounds, followed by Cooper Matthews with 10 points and eight boards. Moore had five of the 15 steals for the Grizzlies, who turned the ball over just 10 times and outrebounded the Quakers by a 45-32 margin.

Franklin will be back on the road this coming Wednesday (Jan. 28) against Rose-Hulman.