Franciscan 75, Lycoming 70

Franciscan Starters
Josh Zimmerman, Sawyer Butler, Karl Yonkeu, Frank Bellissimo, Travis Zimmerman

How It Happened 
   On the opening night of the tournament, Franciscan took on Lycoming for the second time in program history. The Barons picked up their first win all-time against the Warriors to earn a spot in the tournament championship on Saturday.

    Action started slow, as the score was 13-12 Barons after nearly 11 minutes of play in the opening half. Frank Bellissimo hit his first of three, three-pointers to spark the Barons and give them a four-point edge. The Warriors battled back to regain the lead, but then Aiden Townsend went on a 5-0 run, including a three-pointer to close out the half and give Franciscan a 29-27 lead at half.

   Butler helped the Barons maintain the lead early in the second half with a pair of three-pointers as he started to get hot. Then Josh Zimmerman scored six straight to give Franciscan a 42-35 lead with 15:50 to play. Just over two minutes later, the game was tied as the Warriors continued to respond. They kept their foot on the gas, and they held an eight-point lead with 10 minutes to play. Bellissimo and Butler each connected on threes as the Barons chipped away at the deficit, and Karl Yonkeu provided several big buckets, to let the Barons regain the lead with 5:40 to play. Butler would not let the Barons lose the lead, as he scored 11 points in the final four minutes to put this game on ice and give Franciscan the victory. 

Inside the Numbers 
- Butler led all scorers with 22 points.
- Josh Zimmerman and Butler each had eight rebounds.
- Josh Zimmerman had a team-high five steals and three assists. 
- Franciscan shot better from deep (42.1%) than they did from the field as a whole (39.1%)

Franciscan 80, Hilbert 75

Franciscan Starters
Josh Zimmerman, Sawyer Butler, Karl Yonkeu, Frank Bellissimo, Travis Zimmerman

How It Happened 
    On Saturday, Franciscan took on Hilbert, the hosts, in the Tournament Championship. This game had a very similar, defensive first half as game one. With a score of 10-10 after six minutes of play, Franciscan went on a 6-0 run to take a strong lead. Franciscan's defense went to work, as they maintained the lead for the rest of the half by holding the Hawks to under 40% from the floor. Hilbert scored the final four points of the half to pull within one at 27-26 at the break.

    Hilbert came out strong in the second half, as they took the lead in the early going before the Barons responded and tied it up at 35-35 with 15 minutes to play. Travis Zimmerman took over from here with the next 10 Franciscan points over a two-minute stretch to take the lead and momentum. With a little over nine minutes left, Karl Yonkeu nailed a jumper and the lead had grown to double digits. The Hawks chipped away, but Coach Joe Wallace rallied the Barons once more to make a run. A 7-0 Franciscan run pushed the lead up to 17 points at 71-54 with 3:43 to play. The Barons hit their free throws when it mattered most and held off the Hawks in the closing minutes to secure a 2-0 start to the 2024-25 season. 

    After the Tournament, Josh Zimmerman and Sawyer Butler were named to the All-Tournament Team.

Inside the Numbers 
- Josh Zimmerman led all scorers with 23 points on 9-11 shooting.
- Travis Zimmerman pulled in a team-best eight boards.
- Bellissimo connected on a trio of treys for the second game in a row.
- The Barons shot an impressive 59.2% from the floor. 

Up Next 
Franciscan returns to Steubenville for the 2024-25 Home Opener on Tuesday evening. They will take on Penn State New Kensington at 7:00 p.m. at Finnegan Fieldhouse. The Barons are 4-1 all-time against the Lions with wins in their last four meetings. Last season, the Barons won 90-85 with five Barons in double-digits. Karl Yonkeu led the way with 20 points and earned a double double with 11 rebounds. Josh Zimmerman had a double double with 17 points and 14 rebounds.

Stay Connected 
Be sure to follow Franciscan Athletics on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for the most in-depth coverage.