STEUBENVILLE – It was a back-and-forth contest Wednesday night as the Franciscan University of Steubenville Barons basketball team beat Pitt-Greensburg in an 81-72 victory. With the win, the Barons' standings improve to 3-10 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference and 4-13 overall.

“This was a big game for us tonight,” commented FUS Coach Sean Donovan. “The last time we faced Pitt-Greensburg they beat us at the buzzer. Coming in tonight, it was important for us to dictate the physicality of the game because they are a very big, athletic team. Having four players in double-digit scoring was huge for us, and Matt Liedel had a double-double. However, it was really a team win. Off the bench, Andrew Kay, Dan O'Brien, and Thomas Klienschnitz gave us valuable minutes.”

In the first half, neither team led by more than six points or was able gain a real advantage over the other. At the half, Pitt-Greensburg held a marginal 37-35 lead.

“We're confident that we can pull this out in the second half,” FUS senior guard Josh Ducoulombier remarked. “We're not looking to keep this game close – we want to come out and build a lead and just seal the deal.”

Ducoulombier's words were soon fulfilled as the Barons built a ten point lead midway through the second half. Pitt-Greensburg made several runs but never cut the Barons' advantage to less than four from that point.

Coach Donovan cited consistency, particularly on offense, as a key to the win. “We discussed inconsistencies on the floor this week, especially on the offensive end of the court. The difference tonight was that we kept our cool and never panicked. When they took a lead, we stayed calm. When we built a lead and they cut into it, we didn't panic then either. It was a defensive victory – we held their two top scorers under 10 points. All in all, it was really a team victory and we all came together to make this win happen tonight.”

“We played great as a team tonight,” said Thomas Klienschnitz, who had 20 points and eight boards. “Everyone really gelled, and it was a great team win.”

“It was a really good finish,” remarked Ducoulombier jubilantly, whose final points tallied to 21. “We knew we were capable of it, but it's great to see the results on the scoreboard.”

The Barons play at Medialle College this Saturday, January 30, at 3 p.m.