STEUBENVILLE – The Franciscan men's basketball team celebrated its pair of graduating seniors on Saturday as the Barons hosted Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent, Hilbert, though the celebration was spoiled with a 71-66 Hawk win.
 
"These guys, Juwan Perkins and Josh York, were so instrumental in this program turning the corner when it did," remarked head coach Joe Wallace. "Josh and Juan came in with me my first year and have been a part of the winningest group of guys since going DIII. I can't say enough about what they have done for this team, this family."
 
York finished the day with 12 rebounds and 11 points for his second double-double of the year. The 12 boards also give the Russia, OH native 442 rebounds for his career so far, moving him into third at Franciscan since the Barons joined the NCAA. Perkins added a pair of points and a pair of rebounds and now has 605 points in three years for the Barons. The Detroit, MI native ranks ninth in the DIII scoring list for the Barons.
 
In a back-and-forth affair, it was the Hawks that got on the board first with a jumper just 30 seconds into action. Junior Matt Trent (Cleveland, OH/Trinity) tied the game at 2-2 33 seconds later after grabbing an offensive board and putting it back up for two of his 14 points. The Barons took their first lead of the game as sophomore Sean Hickey (North Olmstead, OH/Holy Name) hit a jumper in the paint in the Barons' next possession to give Franciscan a 4-2 lead. The game then went to be tied six times in the next five minutes as Masia Phillips made a layup with 13:08 to play to tie the game at 14-14. Franciscan took the lead back, 17-13, as Hickey hit a there thanks to an assist from junior John Noce (Brewster, NY/John F. Kennedy Catholic). Another jumper form Hickey gave the Barons their largest lead of the game, 19-14, but the Hawks used a 13-3 run over the next seven minutes to take their largest lead of the first half, 27-22, with 6:42 to play.
 
A three from junior Joe Schriner (Bluffton, OH/Bluffton) cut the lead back to two, and a pair of free throws in their next possession for Schriner tied the game at 27-27 with 5:25 to play. The Hawks built another four-point lead as Ryan Hogan hit a three with 2:31 to play but a layup and a three from freshman Travis Lien (St. Louis, MO/Kirkwood) gave the lead back to Franciscan, 37-36, with 1:54 to play in the first. The Hawks used a 6-0 run to take a five-point lead, 42-27, with 35 seconds left before the break. Trent made a layup in the paint and Schriner hit a jumper as time expired to cut the lead to one, 42-41, at the half.
 
The Hawks built a five-point lead it the first two minutes of the second half and despite the Barons' best effort to overcome the deficit, Hilbert was able to keep the Barons at bay. With 9:01 to play, Hilbert pushed its lead to nine, 60-51, the largest lead for any team during the game. York made a layup after getting an offensive rebound and Schriner hit a three to trim the game to four, 60-56, with 6:41 to go. The Hawks pushed the lead back to eight but a layup and jumper from Noce made the game a two-possession game, 66-62, with 1:34 to play.
 
Hilbert hit five free throws in the final minute to seal the 71-66 win for the Hawks.
 
Trent finished the day with 14 points and had 10 rebounds for his 12^th double-double of the year. Noce chipped in 10 points and Schriner led the team with 15 points.
 
The Barons hit the road for the final three games of the regular season as they head to Pitt.-Bradford to play the Panthers in a rescheduled game from January 19. The Barons and Panthers will tip off at 6:00 pm.

"This is the way the season has gone for us," remarked Coach Wallace. "Nothing comes easy and we have to find for everything. The next three games will be a dog fight for us and we will be ready."