Franciscan 51, Virginia Wesleyan 73

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

How It Happened 
    The Barons were selected for the ECAC tournament for the first time since 2018. Their Quarterfinal matchup was against a fierce Virginia Wesleyan Marlins. The Marlins were one of the first teams out of the NCAA at-large bid, and one of the top teams competing in the ECAC. 
    Butler had a good day. He kicked off scoring by knocking down a three in the first possession. The Marlins responded by going on a 15-1 run. The Barons lead lasted two possessions and their deficit slowly grew as the game progressed. 
    The Baron season ended with back-to-back losses in the PAC and ECAC tournament, but that shouldn't diminish the excitement about the accomplishments from this group this year and looking forward. The 2024-25 season goes down as the greatest Baron Basketball season since 1972 and the greatest year as an NCAA program. The program says goodbye to on and off court pillars, but in-all is a very young squad with a bright outlook. 

Inside the Numbers 
-Butler had a team-high 18 points
-J. Zimmerman's 7 rebounds was a game-high
-T. Zimmerman added 1 OReb and currently sits at 54th in the nation

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