ALTOONA, Pa.—Franciscan University men's basketball team managed to keep one step ahead of Penn St.-Altoona in an on-the-road defensive battle. The Barons defense led the team to their fifth overall win and third conference win of the season with a final score of 49-41.

The Barons were on top from the beginning, keeping the Lions at bay and finishing the half up 21-18. The second half proved to be a test of wills as Altoona fought to turn the tables.

With four minutes to go, Altoona pulled ahead 37-36 and FUS head coach John Lamanna called a timeout for the men to regroup. FUS emerged from the huddle, and 34 seconds later senior captain Moses Sullivan stole the ball for a fast-break layup, regaining a slim lead.

Sullivan continued to keep the offense alive, shooting 4-4 from the free throw line in the last three minutes, while freshman guard Keoni Sablan made five out of six free throws to solidify the win.

Meanwhile, the Barons' defense executed smoothly, holding the Lions to a mere 28 percent shooting from the field and 12 percent from beyond the arc.

"We made big improvements," head coach John Lamanna said of the night's eight point win in contrast to the team's first game against Altoona, which coincidentally, was an eight point loss.

"Last time we were not anywhere close to being as strong defensively," he added. "We did a good job tonight overall."

A large part of the Barons' success was due in part to their aggressive rebounding, securing 34 boards to Altoona's 28. A large part of the effort came from freshman forward John-Paul Dombrowski, who finished with eight rebounds and was supplemented with five rebounds each from the team's two captains, Sullivan and junior Christian Duke.

"It was great," Lamanna said. "Our boards were a big reason why we were able to hold them under a 30 percent field goal average."

Offensively, Sullivan led the team with 20 points, finishing 10-10 from the free throw line and shooting 45 percent from the field. Lamanna said the senior's significant contributions, after a couple of quiet games, were invaluable.

"He came back to life for us, which was exciting to see, especially with so few games remaining. It really helped." Lamanna said.

Sablan and Dombrowski tied for the team's second highest scorers with 10 points apiece. Sablan shot 7-8 from the line and added four rebounds, while Dombrowski was also a positive defensive force, adding three blocks.

Lamanna said he was pleased with the men's effort in what proved to be a tight contest but added that there is still room for improvement.

"We had control the whole game, but it was a very close game and a really well-fought game. Altoona played very hard," Lamanna said.

As the Barons move into their last three games of the season, they are no. 8 in the AMCC, two spaces below playoff ranking, but not out for the count.

"Tonight's win keeps the chance of playoffs alive which is exciting and allows us to continue to play for something," Lamanna said. "We've got to continue to work on taking care of the basketball and finishing well at the rim."

The Barons next game might be their biggest remaining challenge as they take on Medaille College, currently ranked second in the AMCC, at home on Saturday, February 14 at 4 pm.