Franciscan 62, Chatham 86

Franciscan Starters
Josh Zimmerman, Nicholas Allienello, Derrick Derrow, Karl Yonkeu, Sawyer Butler

How It Happened 
    Franciscan hosted Chatham, the defending PAC Champions, on Saturday evening in Finnegan Fieldhouse for a pivotal conference matchup. The Cougars were able to keep up their recent success against the Barons, as they picked up their fourth straight win over them tonight. 

    It was all Cougars for the first three minutes, as they built an 8-0 lead. Josh Zimmerman added a pair of buckets to stop the run and tighten the gap. Karl Yonkeu and Yann Yonkeu each added early buckets, as the Barons would trail 20-12 halfway through the opening half. The Barons would cut it to a three point deficit twice, the last being at 29-26 with a minute and a half remaining in the half. A 5-0 Chatham run would end the half to give them an eight-point edge. 

    Karl Yonkeu hit a big three point bucket two minutes into the second half, his first of the season, as Franciscan would then trail by five. Unfortunately, that would be as close as the Barons would get to the lead the rest of the way, as a 6-0 Chatham run would ensue. Chatham would get hot from three, including five made from Isiah Smith in the second half. That would make a comeback very difficult, as the Cougars would control this one. 

Inside the Numbers 
- Three Barons scored in double figure, as Zimmerman led with 14 on the night.
- Zimmerman also added four assists and three turnovers.
- The Cougars made 10 three point field goals.
- Karl Yonkeu had a pair of blocked shots. 

Up Next 
Franciscan will resume PAC play at Washington & Jefferson on Wednesday night. The Barons are looking to snap a six-game skid against the Presidents, as they have not beaten them since November of 2018. In that game, Matt Trent led the way with 25 points and 15 rebounds for a gigantic double double. The Presidents are off to a slow start this season after a tough non-conference slate. Both teams will be very hungry for a win before the Barons have 10 days off for end-of-semester finals. 

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