Thiel 88, Franciscan 77
Franciscan Starters
Sean Hickey, Tristan McDannell, Aidan Hickey, Josh Zimmerman, Yann Yonkeu
Thiel Starters
Ethan Barnes, Andre Williams, Marlon Ellerbee, Ahmad Tejumola, John Aarestrup
How It Happened
The Barons came into tonight's contest feeling great after their great team win against Bethany. However, Thiel had some good big man play, and would get their first PAC victory over the Barons. The Barons brought in Travis Lien much earlier this game than last. Travis brought a spark by knocking down a deep contest 3pt shot. This would give the Barons a 5-4 lead. Unfortunately, this would be the last time the Barons had a lead for the rest of the game. The Barons kept pace for most of the first half and went into halftime down eight points. Sean Hickey managed 7 points in the first half which brought him to 4th in all-time Franciscan scoring.
In the second half, the story was all about Tejumola. Thiel's Tejumola had 27 points on the night, leading all scorers. Thiel's front court play dominated Franciscan. Thiel had 46 points within 4 feet of the basket in the second half, and only attempted 6 FG's outside of 4ft. Sean Hickey gave everything he had, hitting contested 3's and driving to lane finishing in traffic. Sean scored 17 points in the second half and at one point brought his team to within 4 points. Throughout the second half, there were moments of grit from players like; Joseph Ciola, Tristan McDannell, Colton Hage, Travis Lien, Benjamin Klement, and Aidan Hickey. Tonight just a few moments from each player wasn't enough.
Inside the Numbers
-Barons scored 20 points off 20 turnovers
-Sean Hickey led the Barons in scoring with 23
-Josh Zimmerman led the Barons in rebounding, assists, and steals with 7, 4, and 3 respectively
-Barons shot 50% from the field, but allowed their opponent to shoot 58%
Up Next
Franciscan will get back into competition on Wednesday at Grove City. The Barons were able to beat the Wolverines at home 93-78 back in November. That day the Barons had five players score in double figures, as Justin Mack led the way with with 19 points. Franciscan made 17 three pointers while shooting at a 48.6% clip from behind the arc. Both these teams are sitting around 6th place in the conference, so this a massive game for seeding to ensure that we hold the tiebreaker against Grove City.
Baron Summer Camps
Franciscan University Athletics is partnering with Steubenville Conferences to offer summer sports camps in conjunction with the Steubenville Main Campus 1 (June 9-12th, 2022) and 3 (June 23-26th, 2022). Youth Conferences. Participants will be able to strengthen both their athletic skills and their relationship with Christ in this uniquely Franciscan hybrid experience. Men's and Women's Basketball are just a couple of the sports that will be included, check out more info on our Baron Summer Camps Page.
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