Franciscan 90, Bethany 82

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

How It Happened 
    The game one matchup in Bethany was a terrible day for the Barons. Coming into today, the Barons had been playing their best basketball of the year. Today was a defensive let down. Thankfully it's the last game over break, so most of the fan base wasn't around to see the travesty that was the Franciscan defense. 
    The night wasn't all doom and gloom. Josh Zimmerman's 16 points lands him exactly on 1000 career points. He becomes the 4th player in Franciscan's Division III history to eclipse that mark. Josh played an excellent game on both ends of the floor. He tallied another double-double for the year and was only two assists away from a triple double. That offensive production was accompanied with two blocks and four steals. 
    There is still plenty of basketball to be played and the middle of the PAC is a traffic jam in the standings. The Barons are still very much alive in the playoff race, but will have to travel to Latrobe and face the undefeated Bearcats to get back on track.

Inside the Numbers 
-5 Barons were in double digit scoring
-Karl Yonkeu led the Barons with 18 points
-Josh Zimmerman led the Barons in rebounding with 13

Up Next 
Franciscan will return to action at Saint Vincent on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. This will be their first of two matchups against the Bearcats this season. It will be a firm test for the Barons, as the Bearcats have not lost a game at home all year and sit atop the PAC standings. The Barons are looking for their first win in Latrobe since February of 2022. Sean Hickey led the way with 30 points in that 85-75 victory over the Bearcats. 

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