Warren Wilson 88, Franciscan 79

Franciscan Starters 
Justin Mack, Tristan McDannell, Sean Hickey, Nicholas Allienello, Josh Zimmerman   

Warren Wilson Starters 
King, Daye, Bessette, Goodine, Carroll

How It Happened 
    The Barons traveled to Asheville, NC and lost a close game to the Warren Wilson Owls. Scoring was hard to come by for the Barons in the first half. A team that averages 93 points per game, was held to under 30 in the first half. The Owls mixed in a triangle and 2 defense that provided enough disruption to limit attempts from Justin Mack and Sean Hickey. As the Barons searched for someone to bring some offensive pressure on the floor, enter sophomore Robert Case, Case brought energy in the press while also knocking down a three and creating shots for other guys. The opportunities were there in the first half, but the Barons struggled to finish close to the rim. They went into halftime down twenty. 
    The second half felt like a completely different game. The Owls high-low play was snuffed out. The Barons did a good job working the Owls for the full 94 feet. The other Baron scorers also found their stride. Josh Zimmerman, who co-led the team in scoring, attacked the rim and finished the shots that plagued the Barons in the first half. In the second half, Tristan McDannell found his midrange pull-up jumper. This loosened up the Owls' man defense, because now they weren't free to face guard Mack and Hickey. With the defense on their heels, Sean Hickey was able to find some lanes and some room. Thanks to these offensive efforts the Barons quickly ate up the 20 point deficit. With a minute remaining, the Barons were only down two. After the blistering scoring rate earlier in the half, the Barons hit a dry spell, and it couldn't have come at a worse time. After a missed three, the Owls pushed it down court, drew a foul, and finished the three-point play. The Barons were now in fouling territory. The Owls knocked down all but one of their free throws. Sean Hickey managed to knock down a highly contested three, but the Barons couldn't hit enough three's to overcome the made free throws at the other end. 

Inside the Numbers 
-Sean Hickey's 17 points brings him to only 51 points behind 5th all-time in scoring Dan Rogich
-Josh Zimmerman led the team in scoring and assists with 17 and 3 respectively
-Tristan McDannell ended his 3-game double-digit scoring drought with 12 points
-Sean Hickey led the team in rebounds with 9
-The Barons shot 41.1% from the field, just below their season average 44.6%

Up Next
Franciscan is set to return to action after finals week, as they will head to Walsh for an exhibition on December 16th. This will be their second exhibition of the year, and first matchup with a Division II school the season. 

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