STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – Franciscan University men's basketball team fell to Hilbert College 87-81 in overtime after coming into foul trouble at the end of a 68-68 tie in regulation.

With nine seconds left in regular time, junior Moses Sullivan went to the foul line with FUS trailing the Hilbert Hawks by one, 68-67. He tied the game with his first free throw, but missed the second, sending the game into overtime. Although a tough break for the Barons, Sullivan's contributions to the game are what kept them in position to win throughout.

Sullivan's 23 point, 10 rebound performance came after Sullivan left the game due to injury, returning when most expected him to miss the rest of the game.

"Moses had a great game, with his toughness and how he bounced back from such an injury," head coach John Lamana said. "He is a tough kid and he fought tonight, that's for sure. We all just fought, fought, fought. We just need to get ourselves to where we can play a full forty minutes."

The first half started strong for Franciscan, with junior Joseph Rine putting up the first basket and quick defense coming from all the starters. After the first ten minutes going back and forth with strong shooting and defense from both sides, the Baron's momentum faded and they began to trail.

"Midway through the first half, our defense broke down to where we didn't have the rotations and we didn't guard the ball as well as we can," Lamana said. "It was a combination of not guarding the ball well and not being able to score. For whatever reason there was a lid on the rim, we were putting good shots but we just couldn't get them down."

The first half ended 41-26, with freshman Garrison Holmes, Rine and Sullivan keeping Franciscan afloat. The trio combined for 21 of the team's 26 first half points. When the second half started, the Baron's defensive intensity came back while more played started to score.

"We played significantly better in the second half than we did in the first half," Lamana said. "There was more of a sense of urgency in the second half and that played a major role. We started to get more stops and we started to score easier."

Franciscan managed to get back on defensive and get on the boards, bringing the score to 52-42 with thirteen minutes to go. It was then that Lamana said he saw his team play their best.

Holmes and Sullivan continued their scoring, while others began to add to the offensive output. Sophomore Timmy Schenk contributed 12 and sophomore Daniel Kleinschnitz and freshman Christian Duke each scored 8. The offense was much more balanced and the defense more consistent, leading the Barons to Sullivan's free throw to tie the game 68-68 at the regulation end.

Moving into overtime, Franciscan was without Rine and Holmes due to foul trouble. FUS had also been playing without senior forward Jordan Wilkinson who was coming into his own before getting injured earlier in the week. 

"Anytime we lose players, it is going to affect our team because all of our guys play such a significant and invaluable role in our program," Lamana said. "The fact that we have guys that are out due to injury and foul trouble toward the end of the game definitely played a role."

Hilbert scored a three-pointer to start overtime, and even though FUS followed up with a basket, they were never able to close the gap. With 12 seconds left, the Barons brought the score within two points at 83-81. Hilbert then came through with four free throws in those 12 seconds and walked away with a win.

"Once overtime hit, I think that was when we really felt the loss of the one big (Rine) we had," Lamana said. "We had a chance in overtime to still go up, and we missed the shot. We need to understand that there is a sense of urgency all the time."

Although a loss, the Barons had moments of great play and strength on the court, even with injury and the loss of key players for overtime. Lamana said he commended his team for their commitment to fight through the entire game.

"I am proud of our guys and their effort and resiliency," Lamana said. "It has been really tough but we played a second half how I know this group of guys can play and they again showed that we are a high-character team."

Franciscan will have another opportunity for a win at their next game, Sunday December 15 at home at 1 p.m. against D'Youville College.