Franklin women's basketball scored a home win against Transylvania earlier this season — but defeating the Pioneers on their own floor proved a much taller order.

The Grizzlies got off to a cold shooting start and never recovered, and their season came to an end as a result in an 85-51 defeat in the championship game of the HCAC tournament on Saturday afternoon.

Transylvania hasn't lost to a conference opponent at home since December 2017. Franklin, picked to finish sixth in the league's preseason poll, ends the season with a 21-7 record.

"This group was a privilege to coach," Griz coach Ashley Blanch said. "I have so much respect for our players for never giving up. It's culture-building, and those are the type of players I always want in my program."

After falling into a quick 11-0 hole, the Grizzlies fought back to within 14-10 on Jordan Coon's 3-pointer with 2:54 left in the opening quarter. Despite a tough start from the floor (3 for 15 in the first), Franklin stayed close by holding the Pioneers to two points over the final 5:17 of the quarter.

But after a Coon jumper with 6:37 to go in the half pulled the Griz within nine, Transy knocked down four consecutive 3-pointers to bust the game open at 37-16. Franklin crept back to make it an 11-point game, 43-32, on a Briley Munchel 3 at the 8:15 mark of the third quarter before a 21-2 Pioneer surge pushed it completely out of reach.

Coon, playing in her final game, was the lone Grizzly in double figures with 15 points. Taylor Turk finished with seven points and a team-high six rebounds, while Munchel and Sophia Saucerman each scored six. Franklin finished the game shooting 19 for 67 (28.4%) from the field, while Transy was 32 of 61 (52.5%).

The Grizzlies graduate Coon and Kate Breeden but are slated to return everyone else from the program's first 20-win season since 2013.