Franciscan 84, Chatham 94
Franciscan Starters
Josh Zimmerman, Nicholas Allienello, Colton Hage, Aidan Hickey, Alan Wood
Chatham Starters
Cintron, Boyer, Fiumara, Gartley, Bomar
How It Happened
The Franciscan Barons fell to the Chatham Cougars 84-94 for their final game of the season. Despite Chatham being much higher in the standings, the Barons made it a close game. While the season didn't end with playoff success, the team fought with every fiber they had, right until the very end.
Colton Hage stepped up his game and poured in points, starting with a three pointer assisted by Josh Zimmerman. Chatham responded with a 7-0 run. The Barons had difficulty landing shots, but they amped up their defense to slowly chip away their deficit. With 11 minutes left in the first half, the score was tied at 16. Suddenly, the Barons caught fire, with Joseph Ciola, Travis Lien, and Frank Bellissimo all draining threes. Colton Hage scored 5 straight points, and the Barons were up by 10. Chatham proceeded to go on a run of their own, and by the end of the first half, once again, the score was tied at 38 apiece.
Unfortunately, the Baron's offensive engine started to stall in the second half. Chatham outscored Franciscan 15-5 in the first five minutes. Aidan Hickey and Colton Hage tried to contain the fire, but the deficit continued to grow. With 1 minute remaining, Travis Lien landed a tremendous three, putting the Barons only 9 points behind. After a few Chatham free throws, the senior forward hit yet another three point bomb. Despite a blaze of heroics, the Barons were unable to come away with the win.
Despite tearing his ACL for the third time, Travis Lien poured in 23 points off the bench, going 5-8 from downtown. Colton Hage continued his excellence on both sides of the floor, posting 19 points along with a block and 2 steals. The Barons didn't have to play this hard. After getting knocked out of playoff contention, the team could have surrendered to the higher-seeded Chatham, but the Barons battled with fierce honor. While Franciscan suffered a torrent of trials, we will remember the 2022-2023 men's basketball team for their positive perseverance. Simply put, they got to work. Blue collar basketball.
Inside the Numbers
-Lien, Hage, and Bellissiomo all scored in double-figures.
- Zimmerman led the team with seven assists and six rebounds.
- The Barons had their best day from three with 14 makes while shooting 50% both best marks in a game all year.
- 51.6% from the floor was the best in a game all year by the Barons.
- Cintron led the Cougars with 34 points.
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