STEUBENVILLE—It was a spectacle to behold as Franciscan University's Baron basketball team gave it their all for the first game of 2011. Hosting the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Panthers Wednesday night, it was a fight to the very finish as the Barons battled for the 67-62 win.

"We opened up the game very well, coming out of the gates strong and built a lead that we kept," said head coach Sean Donovan.

Senior Connor Flanagan broke the ice with a three-pointer less than a minute into the first half and the teams took off at an intense pace. Flanagan and Thomas Kleinschnitz totaled 10 points each on the half, matched well against Pitt-Greensburg's Cameron Hubbard with 10 and David Palmer adding seven. Franciscan kept up the pressure, shooting 75% from the free throw line and 54% from the field.

The pace of the game never slowed as smooth steals and a succession of shots from both teams kept the final outcome up in the air until the very end.

Kleinschnitz led in scoring with 22 on the night. Flanagan followed with 16 and Nate Stanton added 10.

"Thomas [Kleinschnitz] was our leading scorer and really kept his composure throughout the game," noted Donovan. "There was a showing of great leadership by our seniors down the stretch: Kleinschnitz, Flanagan, and Stanton.

"Coming off three weeks vacation, this was a big win for us," he continued. "I'm really proud of the boys. We can celebrate the win tonight, but we've got a big weekend ahead of us in Buffalo. We need to focus on riding this momentum."

The Barons were riding a two-game losing streak before Christmas vacation, and the hard-earned win against the Panthers serves as an adrenaline rush for the team and fans alike.

"I don't want to label us as the come back kids…but we seem to make it interesting," mused Donovan.

Defense played a big part in the win, something the team has been focusing on since returning to campus. Donovan noted that it seemed to be the difference in how the Barons played. "Connor [Flanagan] was a key defensive player for us tonight," he said, "and Sean [Wayne] and Nate [Stanton] did a great job protecting the hoop."

The Barons are now 2-2 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference and 2-7 overall. The team heads to Buffalo, NY, this weekend to take on Hilbert College on Saturday and D'Youville College on Sunday. Game time for both games begins at 3 p.m.