Franciscan 84, Waynesburg 74

Franciscan Starters 
Sean Hickey, Travis Lien, Benjamin Klement, Josh Zimmerman, Aidan Hickey

Waynesburg Starters 
Popeck, Felberg, Wilt, Knotts, Kirkman

How It Happened 
    The Barons were tired of slow starts, tired of being pushed around, and tired of losing at home. Today, enough was enough. Before the game, Coach Wallace said "the toughest team will win, and the toughest dudes are going to play". The Hickey duo, Lien, Zimmerman, and Klement gave just that. In the first six minutes of the game, the starting five produced 5 steals and a block. They also turned those turnovers into points. Josh Zimmerman hit 2 three's, Sean Hickey hit a three, and a handful of fast break layups put the Barons up 21-9. Waynesburg took a couple timeouts, and found a way to hit tough shots and claw back into the game. At half, the Barons led by six, 40-34.
    The second half repeated the events of the first half. Good defense and great energy turned easy points for the Barons. Waynesburg would cap a Franciscan run with a couple highly contested shots. Waynesburg guards did hard work to keep their team in a single digit deficit. In the final minute, a block by Travis Lien into a fast break layup by Josh Zimmerman put the Barons up 10 pts with 20 seconds remaining. Now it's time for "The Closers". It's 84-74, and coach needs five guys that can wrap up the game and not allow any more points. Mission accomplished, great finish and great team win today. 

Inside the Numbers 
-Josh Zimmerman led the game in scoring with 24 points.
-the Barons held Waynesburg to 44% shooting.
-Nicholas Allienello led the team in rebounds with 9.
-the Barons won the points in the paint battle 50-48
-the Barons had 26 bench points, compared to Waynesburg's 7.

Up Next
Franciscan get right back into action on Monday as they host Saint Vincent at 8pm. This will be the first time the Barons and Bearcats meet up in the 2021-22 season, as their early matchup was postponed to this date. The Barons are 1-3 all-time against the Bearcats with the one win coming last season in a conference matchup. In the overtime thriller, Franciscan won 95-93. Justin Mack led the way with 24 points off the bench and Sean Hickey added 23 points. 

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.

Stay Connected 
Be sure to follow Franciscan University on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for the most in-depth coverage of FUS athletics.