Geneva 99, Franciscan 93

Franciscan Starters 
Sean Hickey, Josh Zimmerman, Aidan Hickey, Benjamin Klement, Yann Yonkeu

Geneva Starters 
Luptak, Veynovich, Tipton, Rachic, Massie

How It Happened 
    The Barons went on the road for the second game in a 3 game in 5 days stretch. The Geneva Golden Tornados boast one of the top scoring offenses in the conference, backed by conference leading scorer L. Tipton, who is averaging 25.7 points/game. The Barons high pressure style of play, plays dividends late in the game as teams not used to the pace get worn down and make mistakes. Last night the Tornados were able to keep up with the pace, and avoid making the mistakes that most teams make in the second half against the Barons. The Barons struggled offensively in the beginning minutes of the game. They had to rely on their defense to keep the game in striking distance. Thankfully their half-court defense was dialed in, and were able to produce stops. Steals from Josh Zimmerman, Aidan Hickey, and Tristan McDannell helped hold the Tornados offense. A game that was anticipated to be high-scoring, was only 8-7 four minutes into the game. That pace didn't last much longer. The Barons found their stride on the offensive end, as well as, the Tornados found a way to break through the Barons half court defense. Tristan McDannell's 9 points and Nicholas Allienello's 10 points helped keep the Tornado defense scrambling. At halftime, the Barons were leading by four, 54-50.
    The second half spelled trouble for the Barons. As previously stated, the Tornados kept pace and held their composure. On the other side, the Barons kept fighting their tired legs to keep giving them another minute. It was a great showcase of mental toughness and will to keep pushing the Tornados and not slow down. However, the price paid were just a few untimely and costly mental lapses. A couple turnovers and a couple bad judgement errors on defense prevented the Barons from producing a firm lead in the closing minutes. The Tornados took the lead with seven minutes remaining in regulation. Down four, the Barons had Sean Hickey at the line shooting two. He was unable to convert either free throw. The next possession, after a defensive stop, Tristan McDannell was fouled on his made layup attempt, sending him to the line for three point play. He too was unable to make his free throw. Those three free throws were the difference between being up one in the last minute and being down two. Instead of sinking into their defense and protecting their lead, the Barons had to overextend and pressure to try and get the lead back. The Tornado ballhandler's avoided turnovers, and were able to find open teammates to build their lead and seal their victory. 

Inside the Numbers 
-The Barons had 6 players in double figure scoring
-Sean Hickey led the team in scoring with 16
-Nicholas Allienello was close to a double-double with 12 points and 8 rebounds
-The Barons shot 44% from the field while allowing 50% from the Golden Tornados
-Baron three point shooters went 40% from behind the arc, led by Colton Hage who went 3-6

Up Next
Franciscan is home on Wednesday with a rematch against Geneva College. This game will be interesting to watch since the matchup will be so fresh in all the players minds. In this game, Franciscan held Lyle Tipton under his average at 18 points, but allowed Ryan Rachic to score well above his average with 26. Franciscan is 2-5 overall versus Geneva College, but will look to end the current 3 game losing streak. In the previous two matchups the average scoring was 105.75 points. Fans should expect another high powered offensive game Wednesday night.

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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