HAMBURG, NY – Rallying to make a comeback from a halftime
deficit, the Franciscan University of Steubenville Barons
basketball team took an 84-73 win against the Hilbert College Hawks
on Sunday. With the victory, the Barons improved to 4-11 in the
Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference and 5-14 overall.
The Barons struggled in the first half as the Hawks dominated in
rebounds, taking a 41-30 advantage into the locker room. However,
the Barons opened the second half with Thomas Kleinschnitz, Josh
Ducoulombier, and Matt Liedel scoring on multiple possessions to
even the gap. A layup by Liedel tied the game, and two free throws
by Ducoulombier on the ensuing possession gave the Barons the lead
they held for the remainder of the contest.
Josh Ducoulombier had his best performance of the season,
registering 29 points, the highest single-game total for the Barons
this year. He shot nine for 14 on the night, including an
impressive three for three from beyond on the arc, and was just one
board shy of a double-double with nine rebounds. Connor Flanagan
also had an impressive performance for the Barons with 15 points
and nine boards, while Matt Liedel had 14 points and eight rebounds
and Thomas Kleinschnitz finished with 14 points and four assists.
Cody Troutman was Hilbert's offensive standout with 13
points, while teammate Dan McFarland contributed nine points and 10
rebounds.
“We really came together to make this victory
happen,” Barons coach Sean Donovan said. “Hilbert
really outrebounded us in the first half and Matt Liedel was only
able to play for three minutes due to foul trouble. However, we
came out with all cylinders firing for the second half. Duke [Josh
Ducoulombier] had an amazing shooting night and led us with 29
points. We had four players in double-figures once again with
Connor, Matt, and Thomas all breaking 10 points. We had a great
effort today, and we're hoping to carry this momentum into
our home match against Mount Aloysius this Wednesday.”
The Barons host Mount Aloysius College at 8 p.m. Wednesday
night.
