Franciscan 59, Pitt.-Greensburg 80

Franciscan Starters 
Sophie LaRose, Chiara MacGillivray, Jazzlyn Melnyk, Kylie Panizza, Lauren Arena  

Pitt.-Greensburg Starters
Harris, Penrose, Morraco, McCully, Maietta

How It Happened 
After nearly a two week break for Christmas, the Barons got back into action at Pitt.-Greensburg on Friday afternoon. This would be their last non-conference matchup the season. The Barons led at the half, but then a big third quarter for the Bobcats flipped the script and led to a victory for them.

MacGillivray would connect on a three pointer to put Franciscan on the board and take a 3-2 lead. Unfortunately that would be the lone made bucket of the opening quarter, as the Bobcats responded with an 11-0 run. They would have a 13-4 lead through the opening ten minutes. Emma Clow would get the Barons going in the second quarter with a three pointer. They would make four three pointers this quarter to chip into the deficit. Franciscan ended the quarter on a 12-0  run over the final three minutes to take a 32-30 lead into the half. 

The Bobcats would respond in the third with a 9-0 run of their own to retake the lead. MacGillivray and Melnyk would connect on shots to keep Franciscan in it with a score of 37-41. Pitt.-Greensburg would really heat up with a 16-0 run that would put this one nearly out of reach. The fourth quarter started slow for both teams, as only three points total were scored in the opening four minutes. From then it was a back and forth scoring fest with lots of different players scoring for the Barons in the final minutes, but the Bobcats would go on to win 80-59.

Inside the Numbers 
- MacGilivray scored a team-high 18 points.
- Nine different Barons scored in this one.
- Emma Clow had a season-high eight points.
- Jazzlyn Melnyk had seven rebounds and three assists to lead the Barons in those categories.

Up Next 
All that remains on the schedule are PAC contests, as the Barons head into the games that matter most. They will host Bethany on Tuesday at 6 p.m. for their first matchup of the season against the Bison. Franciscan is 8-12 against Bethany over the years, but the Bison have won the last four matchups. Franciscan has not beat Bethany in the Division III era, but they beat them in 1980 as the College of Steubenville. 

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