Game #5
Franciscan (4-0 | 0-0 PAC) vs. Washington & Jefferson (2-1 | 0-0 PAC) 
Wednesday, Nov. 20th | 7:30 p.m.
Finnegan Fieldhouse | Steubenville, Ohio

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The Latest
- The Barons improved to 4-0 on the season with a 73-50 win over Penn State Beaver in the Cedar One Group Steubenville Classic at Steubenville High School on Saturday. Sawyer Butler and Travis Zimmerman led the way with 13 points, as all 19 Barons saw time on the floor. Franciscan shot 50% from the floor, and the defense looked great, as they held the Lions to just 17 first-half points and 27.0% from the floor for the game.

- With a 4-0 record, the Barons have the most wins in the PAC through non-conference play. Bethany is undefeated as well with a 3-0 mark, and Chatham sits atop the PAC standings after a conference win over Thiel this weekend. 

Scouting the Presidents 
- Last season, the Presidents went 9-16 overall with an 8-12 PAC record. They are 2-1 so far this season through non-conference play. They have wins over Clarkson and Baldwin Wallace, and their lone loss came by one point to Oberlin. 

- The Barons are 5-9 all-time against the Presidents in a series that dates back to 1954. Last season, the away team won each of their two meetings. In January, Washington & Jefferson won 86-70 in Steubenville, and In December, Franciscan won 66-61 in Washington. In that win, Josh Zimmerman led the charge with 22 points and nine rebounds. 

- Four of the Presidents' primary starters are averaging double-digit points this season. Nathan Plonter leads the way thus far at 16.3 ppg while shooting 55.3% from the floor. 

Historic Start Continues
- This is the first time the Barons started a season 4-0 since the 1973-74 season, the Barons picked up wins over Clarion, Malone, Buffalo State, and Central Michigan to start that season.

- You have to go all the way back to the 1964-65 season for the last 5-0 start in program history. Head Coach John Bayer led the Barons to a 21-4 record that season. They opened up the year with wins at Marshall before home wins against Kentucky Wesleyan, Quincy College, Saint Francis (Pa.), and Gannon.

Defense vs. Defense
- W&J leads the PAC in scoring defense at 62.0 ppg, and Franciscan is #2 at 65.5 ppg.

- Franciscan has held opponents to a conference-best 38.8% from the floor. W&J sits in second with the opposition shooting 40.9% from the floor. 

Starting Five
- Both teams have used the same starting five in each game this season.

- For Franciscan, Josh Zimmerman, Travis Zimmerman, Sawyer Butler, Frank Bellissimo, and Karl Yonkeu have been a winning formula. Butler leads the Barons at 20.8 ppg and 7.3 rpg. Josh Zimmerman leads the Barons with 17 assists and 16 steals through four games. Travis Zimmerman has shot 66.7% (20-30) from the floor so far this season. 
 
Zimmerman Tracker
- Josh Zimmerman enters this game with 1,191 points to have the eighth most all-time. John Blanda '60 sits in seventh with 1,195 points. Sean Hickey '21 holds the Franciscan Division III record with 1,692 points, and Paul Brownlee '56 sits atop the all-time rankings with 2,433 points.

- He is closing in on becoming the all-time leader in assists. He sits in second with 272. With six more assists this season, he will pass Jacob Divens '18 (277) to become the program leader. That will be his second major program record, as he is the program's all-time leader in steals with 201 so far.

- He sits 14th all-time in rebounding with 604 boards. Al Canty '70 sits one spot above him in 13th with 610 rebounds. Matt Trent '20 holds the Franciscan Division III record with 781 rebounds, and "Big" Jim Smith '58 sits atop the rankings and all levels of collegiate basketball with 2,334 rebounds.

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