Franciscan 115 , Penn State Fayette 101  

Franciscan Starters 

Penn State Fayette Starters 

Mozie, Jones, Boring, Craig, Freeman

How It Happened 

The Barons win their first game of the season at home against the Penn State Fayette Nittany Lions. The Barons looked to bounce back after the tough loss Friday against another Penn State branch school. The fast-paced run and gun style that was lacking on Friday was in full force today. Seven minutes into the game, the Lions found themselves down 20-8. The Barons press forced 6 turnovers, which contributed to the quick start. The Lions settled into the game and found their rhythm, with 7 minutes remaining in the half they brought the game to within 2 points. The score was 31-29, but that would be the closest the Lions ever came to tying the game or taking the lead. The Barons held the Lions top scorer to only 6 points in the first half.
The story of the game would be the second half performance. The Barons started to rack up forced turnovers and easy points in transition. These easy points helped the Barons finished the game with 68 points in the paint compared to the Lions 44. As the game drew longer and the Lions' players leg's became more tired, the Barons kept throwing more guys on the floor from the bench, and wearing down the Lion's attack. Baron bench players brought high-energy defensive, as well as, offensive capability. They scored 51 points off the bench. Two standout bench players were freshmen Yann Yonkeu and Benjamin Klement. Yonkeu scored 12 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in only 10 minutes on the floor. Benjamin Klement was a crowd favorite, he was a rock in the Baron press and a constant headache for Lion ball handlers. Klement scored 8 points, but added 3 steals and 4 rebounds in pivotal moments that helped the Barons extend their lead. The Barons biggest lead was at 6 minutes remaining in the game, with a lead of 25 points. The Lions fought back and brought the deficit down to 11 points. The lead proved to be to much to overcome in a short amount of time, and the final score would be 115-101 Franciscan.

Inside the Numbers 
-Josh Zimmerman led the team in scoring and rebounding with 17 and 9 respectively.
-Sean Hickey and Colton Hage each led the team in assists with 5.
-Justin Mack had 4 steals.
-Barons had 28 points off turnovers.
-The Barons shot 52% from the field.

Comments from Coach Joe Wallace

"I thought our leadership from Justin Mack, Sean hickey, Josh Zimmerman, and Garrett Lancaster was exceptional tonight. their communications and togetherness was a key factor in our performance. The main positive was we got to play 17 guys tonight, and reward guys for their hard work."

Up Next 

The Barons will have a week off from competition, as they prepare to face Division I Saint Francis University on Monday November 15th. This game will be the home opener for the Red Flash, as they should fill up the Degol Arena for this matchup. Franciscan has not been able to beat Saint Francis in the Division III era, as they have met three times over the last four years. Including those three games, the Barons have dropped their last 14 matchups with the Red Flash, going back into the College of Steubenville days. These two team s have a long history of playing each other that goes all the way back to the 1947-48 season, the Baron's first collegiate season.  

The Barons last win over Saint Francis came in Loretto in 1967 by the score of 64-48.  Earlier in that 1966-67 season the Red Flash beat the Barons 100-69 with a big double double by Saint Francis's big man Larry Lewis that included 27 rebounds. In the win by the Barons, they were able to hold the Red Flash to their fewest points all season at 48 points. By shutting down their potent starting five lineup that all averaged double digit points including future NBA All-Star Norm Van Lier. 

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