STEUBENVILLE – For the second time in as many games, the Franciscan men's basketball team gave a packed Finnegan Fieldhouse a lot to cheer for as the Barons won their first Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference game of the season with a thrilling 85-80 overtime victory over Pitt.-Greensburg, Wednesday.

"What can I say, these guys are winners," remarked head coach Joe Wallace. "Tonight, showed the character these guys have. I have seen the look in their eyes in the past, and I saw a little bit of it down the stretch, but when we hit overtime and John Noce dropped the hammer and everyone responded and it became everyone at that point. We have a group of winners."

The Barons led by five points with 1:42 to play in the second half before JoJo France hit a three and Matt Johnson hit a step-back jumper with 18 seconds to play to tie the game at 66. Sophomore Sean Hickey (North Olmstead, OH/Holy Name) tried for a last second three but the ball bounced off of the rim and regulation ended with the teams tied.

Playing in their first overtime game of the season, the Barons put their foot on the gas right away in the extra period as Noce drove into the lane and hit a jumper over the Bobcat defender to give Franciscan a 68-66 lead. On the Bobcats next possession. Noce popped the ball out of the hands of Jay Grubb and went coast-to-coast and finished a layup to push the Baron lead to four, 70-66.

Pitt.-Greensburg got its first point of the overtime period as Cody Spaid hit the back end of a trip to the free throw line before Noce pushed the Baron lead back to five, 72-67, on the Barons' next possession. As Noce attacked the rim, he drew a foul from Spaid and finished the traditional three-point play to give Franciscan a 73-67 lead. A pair of free throws from Hickey pushed the Baron lead to eight, their largest of the overtime, but a pair of free throws from Johnson and Cam Seigfried three pointer cut the lead back down to three, 75-72, with 2:23 to play.

Sophomore Christian Comenge (Covington, LA/Home School) halted any momentum the Bobcats tried to build as he nailed a three from the far wing to give Franciscan a 78-72 lead with 2:10 to play. Another three from Seigfried cut the lead back down to three, but Hickey, senior Juwan Perkins (Detroit, MI/Oak Park), and Noce all completed successful trips to the free throw line to push the Baron lead to nine, 84-75, with 46 seconds to play. Hickey scored the final point for the Barons as he hit the front end of his final trip to the free throw line to give Franciscan an 85-75 lead. The Bobcats scored the game's final five points thanks to a pair of free throws and a last-second three, but Franciscan hung on for the 85-80 win.

After a quick start for the Barons, they settled into a nice rhythm and shot 51% in the first half. The Barons Led by 20 with 3:10 to play as Hickey hit a three off a pass from Noce. After back and forth buckets and traded free throws, the Barons carried an 18-point lead into halftime, 43.25.

The Bobcats came out in the second half poised to cool off the hot-shooting Barons and did just that as UPG trimmed the 18-point lead to nine, 43-34, with 16:09 to play in the second. Perkins hit a pair of free throws after drawing a foul trying to put an offensive rebound back up and pushed the Baron lead back to 11, 45-34, with 15:40 to play.

Franciscan pushed its lead back up to 16, 52-36, with 12:05 to play thanks to a layup from junior Josh York (Russia, OH/Russia Local) but the Bobcats answered with a three to get back to within 13. Franciscan maintained its double-digit lead until a free throw trimmed the lead down to nine, 62-53, with 6:00 to play. The Barons would not be able to push its lead back to double figures as the Bobcats out-scored the Barons 7-2 in the final three minutes and tie the game at 66 and force the exciting overtime.

The Barons shot 39.4% from the floor for the game and were 23-for-30 from the free throw line, including 10-11 in overtime. The Barons out-rebounded the Bobcats, 47-39.

Hickey led all players with 27 points while Perkins added 19 points and six rebounds for the Barons. Noce posted 14 points for the Barons and added eight rebounds and a game-best six assists.

Trent posted his fifth double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Trent added a career-best five steals and two blocks.
"Matt as a big is a really good defender too," continued Coach Wallace. "We keep him in late in the game for that. He has a really good knack for the ball and has really good instincts."

The Barons wrap up their four-game homestand on Saturday as they welcome D'Youville to Kuzma Court for a 3:00 pm AMCC contest.