STEUBENVILLE – The Franciscan men's basketball team dropped a heart-breaking 83-66 loss to visiting Penn State Altoona, Wednesday night.

The Barons sprinted out of the gate and quickly built a 7-0 lead thanks in part to four points from sophomore Juwan Perkins. The Lions hung around and cut the lead back to one point, 10-9, with 15:10 to play in the first. Franciscan used a 9-2 run over the next four minutes to push the lead to eight points, 19-11, and the Barons maintained the steady lead for much of the first half. Senior Derrick David made a layup at 5:35 to give the Barons their first double-digit lead at 31-21. Franciscan continued to press until the Barons led by 17, 40-23, with 3:07 to play. The Lions made six free throws in the final three minutes to cut the lead back down to 10, 45-35, but freshman Michael Mendicino hit the back end of a trip to the free throw line and for the first time this season, the Barons headed into the locker room with the lead, 46-35.

The Barons maintained the lead for most of the second half until Ishimeal Nance tied the game for the first time in the contest with a free throw at 8:39. Nance gave the Lions their first lead of the game with the second free throw in his trip to the line and Penn State Altoona used a 20-0 run to take the largest lead of the game, 76-56, with just 3:43 to play. Freshman Josh York halted the run with a layup after grabbing an offensive board to cut the lead back down to 18, 76-58, with 2:47 to play. York got the Barons as close as they would come with another hard layup under the basket to pull the Barons to within 15, 81-66 with 49 seconds left on the clock. The Lions closed out the game with a pair of free throws to seal the 83-66 victory.

"This is the first time we have had a lead at half time, that's the positive, that's the step forward," commented head Coach Joe Wallace. "But this team, this program has to learn how to win and that's my job, plain and simple. We didn't win today and that's on me. I have to find a way, the right pieces, or the right stuff against defenses because we have to win."

Perkins led the Barons with 17 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes of action to continue his hot kickoff to his first season with Franciscan. Perkins is averaging 18.7 points per game against AMCC teams this year.

"With Juwan, the process is just continuing. Like I've said before, I am hard on him in practice and we are starting to reap the benefits during the games," continued Coach Wallace.

York finished second on the Barons with 16 points, almost entirely in the paint. York pulled down six rebounds to go with his 16 points. "Josh, first of all, is one of the hardest working kids on the court that I have ever coach," remarked Coach Wallace. "When you play with that kind of high motor, it is a skill. And for as hard as he works, good things are going to keep happening."

Mendicino came off the bench and poured in 10 points for the Barons, including being a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. "Michael is such a fighter, I love the kid. He is sometimes a little underappreciated on the court because he is small but, man is he a fighter."

Franciscan shot 40.6% from the floor for the game and out-scored the Lions 40-38 in points in the paint.

Franciscan gets on the road on Saturday as the Barons travel to Pitt.-Bradford for a 4pm tipoff.