Game #3 - Home Opener
Franciscan (2-0 | 0-0 PAC) vs. Penn St. New Kensington (0-1 | 0-0 PSUAC)
Wednesday, Nov. 12th | 7:00 p.m.
Finnegnan Fieldhouse | Steubenville, Ohio 

Live Stats | Watch | 2025-26 Roster | 2025-26 Statistics

The Latest
- The Barons won the Oberlin College Tip-Off Challenge with a pair of wins over the weekend.
- Sawyer Butler hit a game-winning three-point field goal with seconds left to beat Beloit, and the Barons beat Adrian 106-92 on Saturday.
- Butler was named PAC Player of the Week while averaging 34.5 ppg over the pair of wins. 

Scouting the Lions
- Penn State New Kensington opened the season at Division I Mercyhurst with a loss, but they take on a pair of PAC schools this week.
- They will take on Waynesburg on Tuesday night before traveling to Franciscan on Wednesday.
- Ta'Rasi Means was their leading scorer last season, and he looks to be the leader once again. Against Mercyhurst, he scored 23 points with five rebounds and four steals. 

All-Time Series
- The Barons are 5-1 all-time against the Lions, including wins in their last five matchups
- Last season, they squared off in the Franciscan home opener with the Barons winning 88-67. 
- Butler led the way with 27 points and 10 rebounds, as the Barons led by six at halftime and pulled away in the second half. 

Big Time Butler
- He has scored 20+ points in 21 games so far in his collegiate career. He has scored 30+ points five times, including each of the first two games of the 2025-26 season. The Barons are 5-0 when he has scored 30+ points and 14-7 with 20+ points
- Sawyer Butler sits 28th with 916 points on the all-time scoring ranks that go back to 1947. Over the weekend, he eclipsed 900 points and passed Bob Beaty '63. Above him are John Stozich '50 with 920 points, Bill Linderman '71 with 931 points, and Connor Flanagan '11 with 939. 
- Butler is also closing in on the program record for most free throws made by a Baron. He sits at 262, as he passed Keoni Sablan and Josh Zimmerman over the weekend with 30 made free throws. Sean Hickey '22 holds the record at 267. 
- With 118 assists, he cracked the Top 10 all-time rankings, as he is tied with Christian Duke '16 for ninth. Sam Titus sits in eighth with 121.
- His 120 steals are the fourth most by a Baron all-time. Derrick David is 3rd all-time with 121. Josh Zimmerman holds the record with 259. 

New Faces Stepping Up
- Zach Oliver earned the start in both games last weekend, and the junior delivered.
- The Wooster transfer averaged 16.0 ppg and six rpg while dealing with some foul troubles.
- Zachary Pollaro and Anthony Covetta each scored in double figures against Adrian. Pollaro leads the team in three-point field goal percentage at .571.

Feast or Famine
- Karl Yonkeu had an up-and-down weekend, as the junior looks to be a major contributor this season.
- He scored three points on 1-12 shooting against Beloit, but then shot 11-16 for 24 points in the win over Adrian. 
- His rebounding was steady, with eight rebounds in each contest to lead the team in that category. 

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