Franciscan 41, Westminster 58

Franciscan Starters 
Jazzlyn Melnyk, Madison Doan, Felicia MacGillivray, Sophie LaRose, Lauren Arena 

Westminster Starters
Vincent, Hergenrother, Powell, Murrio, Bell

How It Happened 

The women's basketball team kicked off their senior night Saturday with a defensive battle against Westminster. Although the Barons have no graduating players, the team celebrated their manager Savannah Pawley, who is graduating this spring. The Finnegan Fieldhouse was charged and the team was ready to go, but despite their best efforts, the Barons fell to Westminster 41-58.

Madison Doan was the first player to put points on the board, posting up on the right block for an easy bucket. Chiara MacGillivray scored shortly after with a left hand drive, but Westminster proceeded to go on an 8-0 run, creating a substantial lead. Emma Clow banked in a three to to cut the deficit to 6, but the offense started to stagnate. The Barons didn't score for the last 5 minutes of the second quarter. Fortunately, Westminster was unable to score many points as well, and Chiara MacGillivray finally ended the drought with a corner three. The Barons ended the first half down 10 points, with victory still within reach.

Again, the offensive struggled continued, as it took three minutes before anyone on Franciscan scored. Jazzlyn Melnyk, Kylie Panizza, and Emma Clow all chipped in, but the Barons ended the third quarter scoring a measly 6 points. By the start of the fourth, the deficit became too big to crawl out of. While the Barons fought hard on this senior night, they were unable to come away with the win.

Madison Doan continues her excellent sophomore season, as she posted 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal. 4 of those 5 rebounds came on offense, allowing the Barons to get crucial second-chance points. Despite the loss, Franciscan played strong team defense, limiting Westminster to 38% from the field and forcing 20 turnovers. Unfortunately, the offense was unable to capitalize on this great defensive game. Now, the Barons look to play their last home game this Wednesday against Waynesburg University.

Inside the Numbers 
-The Barons shot 15% from 3pt
-Madison Doan had a game-high 16 points
-Kylie Panizza led the Barons in rebounding with 6
-Jazzie Melnyk grabbed 3 steals 

Up Next 
Franciscan will remain at home for their last home competition of the season on Wednesday as they host Waynesburg at 6:00 p.m. The Barons are in search of their first win all-time against the Yellow Jackets. The Barons were leading the Yellow Jackets at the half in their previous matchup this season, but they responded with 47 points in the second half to win by a score of 68-56. 

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