Franciscan 65, Bethany 63

Franciscan Starters
Josh Zimmerman, Joseph Ciola, Colton Hage, Nicholas Allienello, Garrett Lancaster  

Bethany Starters 
Dailey, Wells, Riggs, McGee, Wright

How It Happened 
Bison normally experience shallow depressions because of constant irritations due to wallowing. After their most recent encounter with the Barons, the average number of Bison wallowing has increased according to recent studies.
 
The Franciscan Barons sent the Bethany Bison back to the great plains by a score of 65-63 on Wednesday night. The Barons built an early lead in this weeknight matchup as veterans Nicholas Allienello and Joseph Ciola led the way with points in the beginning of the first period.  As the Bison tried to charge their way back, the tall tandem of Colton Hage and Josh Zimmerman kept the Barons one step ahead.
 
Coming out of the half, the Barons decided to use the same script as the first half to finish herding the Bison. Again, veterans Nicholas Allienello and Joseph Ciola put up early points. This time Travis Lien decided he wanted to get in on the fun. Lien jumped the passing lane to tip the ball toward half court. He beat the Bison opponent to the ball then finished the play with an emphatic dunk. Josh Zimmerman and Colton Hage continued to trouble the Bison defense, and they could never find an answer. As the final minute was winding down and the Barons were looking to lock the gate, senior Aidan Hickey sank two clutch free throws and sealed the win for the Barons.


Inside the Numbers 
-The Barons had 7 more offensive rebounds than the Bison leading to 15 second chance points
-The Barons forced 16 turnovers scoring 24 points off of them
-Josh Zimmerman and Colton Hage led the Barons in scoring with 16 each
-Josh Zimmerman recorded his 4th career double-double and 1st of the season

Up Next 
    Franciscan will remain at home, as they host Westminster on Saturday at Finnegan Fieldhouse. It will be Senior Day for Franciscan, as Colton Hage, Garrett Lancaster, Travis Lien, and Aidan Hickey will be honored pregame for their years of dedication to the program. 

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