Franciscan 59, Waynesburg 78

Franciscan Starters 
Jazzlyn Melnyk, Abbigail Jannuzi, Hannah Johnson, Lucy Wilkinson, & Magdalen Simon 

How It Happened 
    Franciscan Women's Basketball made the trip to Waynesburg to begin PAC play against the Yellow Jackets. Jazzlyn Melnyk led the Barons with her seventh double double of the season, but the Barons fell to the Yellow Jackets after a large run gave them a lead that they did not relinquish

    The first half was one determined by a pair of runs, as each team dominated for a stretch. Five minutes into the game, the Yellow Jackets led 8-3. Franciscan rallied to close out the opening quarter on a 15-0 run. They held a 10-point lead heading into the second quarter, where they instantly extended that lead. Magdalen Simon made a pair of three pointers, and Jazzlyn Melnyk made a layup to give the Barons a 26-8 lead for a historic 23-0 run a little more than six minutes. A Waynesburg three-pointer snapped the run with 8:21 left to play in the half. That was the first of many for the Yellow Jackets, as they closed out the half on a 23-0 run of their own in one of the craziest first halves one will ever see. Waynesburg held a 31-26 lead at halftime.

    The game of runs extended into the second half, unfortunately, as the Yellow Jackets scored the first 11 points of the third quarter. Bella Urso snapped the run with a layup, as the Barons tallied seven points in the quarter. The Barons trailed 48-33 heading into the fourth quarter. The teams combined to score 56 points in the final quarter in what was the closest, back-and-forth quarter of the evening. Melnyk and Jannuzi led the charge for the Barons down the stretch, as their 26 points in the quarter matched their first-half production. 

Inside the Numbers 
- Melnyk had 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Barons
- She has had double-digit rebounds in all but one game this season.
- Jannuzi added 14 points, and Simon scored 11, including a trio of three pointers.
- The Barons' largest lead of the day was 18 points at 26-8. 

Up Next 
Franciscan will return home to take on Washington & Jefferson on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The Barons are 1-9 all-time against the Presidents, as they look to snap a skid against them this weekend. It will be Military and Law Enforcement Appreciation Day in Steubenville, with the proceeds of the game going to the Steubenville FOP Lodge #1. This will also be their last contest of the 2025 calendar year, as they do not return to action until January 7th at Saint Vincent.

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