Chatham 88, Franciscan 73

Franciscan Starters 
Sean Hickey, Josh Zimmerman, Aidan Hickey, Travis Lien, Yann Yonkeu

Chatham Starters 
Cintron, Pollock, Potter, Boyer, Gartley

How It Happened 
    Last night was the third time in 8 days the Barons faced off against the Cougars. In the regular season, the Cougars had a lopsided victory at home, and the Barons had a thriller of a win in Steubenville. Traveling to Chatham to face their crowd after playing the night before would be tough. However, the Baron fans came to the game in droves. The fan section behind the bench was bigger and louder than the home crowd. 
    The first few minutes of the game it looked like playing the night before put the Barons a step slow. The Cougars found easy opportunities off Baron turnovers and quick offensive transition. The Cougars established a 12-point lead just six minutes into the game. Coach Wallace called timeout and you could feel the lack of energy from the team and the fans. The Barons retook the floor this time with Robert Case in for Colton Hage. Case only saw 12 minutes the night before and his fresh legs sparked the Barons. Case made plays on the defensive end, as well as setting scorers up like Sean Hickey and Aidan Hickey. This grouped sparked the team and the run that brought the game back to within three points. Travis Lien was a defensive force inside the paint. The end of the Barons small run was capped by Travis recording two blocks on the same possession. Cougars' Potter was an incredible player all season. Last night he came in with a week of rest, and it showed on both ends of the floor. Potter went on a small run that built the Cougar's lead back up to double digits. Going into halftime, the Barons were down 47-36.
    Most of the first half showed signs of the Barons legs being tired from the night before. Coach Wallace had to be worried about how to fuel his guys to get back into the game, and give it everything they have one last time. Coach's halftime talk, Sean Hickey's leadership, and the sheer will and determination of a great group of guys found the strength they needed to keep fighting. The start of the second half was a Baron run, and they brought the game back to within 3 points. The game was back and forth for ten more minutes, with the Cougars maintaining a single digit lead. Colton Hage was an all-star in the second half, making plays on defense, and hitting tough shots on offense when the offensive scheme wasn't working. His 14 points all came at the exact moments a point was needed to keep the Barons in the game physically, mentally, and emotionally. Unfortunately, much like the first half, when the Barons went on a run Potter would answer. He was a one man show for the Cougars in the closing minutes, and he re-established a double digit lead for the Cougars. 

Coach Wallace on his team this season:
"This season was about resiliency, and this group showed their true character. A lot of people don't realize we went from 11/23 to 1/22 without winning a game. These guys showed up every day to get better, and not focusing on results, but focus on improving daily, that is a sign of character and virtue. Sean hickey's leadership and what he has done for this program will never go unnoticed. He was able to lead these guys, not just by his play on the court, but his play off the court as well. That shows what he is really about and how these guys finished the season. Justin Mack, his leadership to be away from early December...he was a rock this year, his leadership was not unnoticed either coming down the stretch. It was a shame to not have him on the court. His maturity and growth this year has been amazing. I am so proud of Travis Lien, to come off of two ACL tears, to come back and compete the way he did through 2 separate rehabs, is mentally draining. That shows his mental toughness and maturity, not only to come back, but to physically dominate the way has. These young guys need to realize the leadership they had with Sean and Justin, but that they can take the next step forward to win games and to out-class this conference. We are capable of beating anybody, that gives us confidence heading into next year."

Inside the Numbers 
-The Barons had 5 players with double digit scoring, Colton Hage leading them with 14 points
-The Barons shot 60% from 3pt
-Travis Lien led the Barons defensively with 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, and a steal
-The Barons had another game with 20+ turnvovers
-Nearly half of the Barons scoring came from the bench (36 bench points)

Up Next
Franciscan finished its season with the loss to Chatham in the Quarterfinals of the PAC tournament. Franciscan was picked to finish 9th in the preseason, and surprised everyone by finishing 7th. The loss of the senior leadership will be felt and missed, but the large nucleus of underclassman will be exciting to watch next season. Be sure to follow Franciscan Athletics on twitter, instagram, and YouTube, and follow FranciscanBasketball on instagram and twitter for all off-season updates and events.

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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