Franciscan 62, Geneva 96

Franciscan Starters
Josh Zimmerman, Joseph Ciola, Colton Hage, Nicholas Allienello, Aidan Hickey  

Geneva Starters 
Massie, Rachic, Tipton, Tipton, Rachic

How It Happened 
    As part of the annual celebration of Kuzma Day, Franciscan University took on the Geneva Golden Tornadoes at Finnegan Fieldhouse. The Barons came into this game battered and bruised, with many key players out due to injury. Despite the team playing their hardest, Franciscan was defeated 62-96.
    Josh Zimmerman was the first Baron to put points on the board with a short jumper in the paint, but Geneva responded with a massive 13-0 run. Shots were simply not falling, while the Golden Tornadoes continued to punish the defense. Finally, 5 minutes after Zimmerman's bucket, Nicholas Allienello scored in transition to end the drought. Slowly, the Barons inched their way back into the game, with Joseph Ciola and Josh Zimmerman knocking down a few free throws. For the next 6 minutes, the defense locked down Geneva, holding them to just 6 points during that time. A back and forth ensued, and by the end of the first half, the Barons were down 23-35.
    Despite the 12-point deficit, victory was still in Franciscan's grasp. Colton Hage started the second half strong by hitting a three pointer, with Joseph Ciola draining another one shortly after. Both teams engaged in a blitz of offense, but Geneva continued to increase their lead to 19. The Golden Tornadoes were lights-out from deep, hitting 4 threes in the span of 3 minutes. The Barons crumbled under the large deficit, and they were unable to recover for the rest of the game. Even though the victor was already decided, Franciscan still played hard till the end, with bench players like Alan Wood and Daniel Valenzuela showing flashes of talent in their limited minutes.
    It's been a rough season for the Barons, but one with a few bright spots. Josh Zimmerman continues his excellent play, leading the team with 16 points and 5 steals. The redshirt sophomore guard has proven himself to be a capable two-way threat, averaging 12 points and 2 steals for the season. The Barons also shot well on the perimeter, going 50% from three in the second half. Unfortunately, Geneva simply shot the ball better, as they landed a blistering 62.5% of their threes. While the day ended in a Baron defeat, it was still a special occasion for everyone in the Athletics Department. Hank Kuzma will always be remembered for his contributions to this University, win or lose. Now, the Barons are ready to lick their wounds and move on to the next matchup, in which they will face Thiel College at home this Wednesday.


Inside the Numbers 
-Geneva shot 62.5% from 3pt
-The Barons shot over 30% from behind the arc for the 3rd game in a row
-Josh Zimmerman was the only Baron scorer in double digits 
-Nicholas Allienello had a game-high 8 rebounds

Up Next 
    Franciscan will take on Thiel on Wednesday at 8pm at Finnegan Fieldhouse. This is a rematch from a heartbreaking loss at their place earlier this season by a score of 85-88. Four Barons scored in double figures, including a team best 26 points and 10 rebounds from Travis Lien. Thiel's Marlon Ellerbee led all scorers with 29 points, as he went 13-14 from the free throw line. 

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