Franciscan 61, Bethany 80

Franciscan Starters 
Jazzlyn Melnyk, Abbigail Jannuzi, Lucy Wilkinson, Isa Saez-Pedraza, & Maria McCallen 

How It Happened 
    Franciscan hosted their local rival for their first home game of the spring semester in front of a nice crowd in Finnegan Fieldhouse. Jazzlyn Melnyk recorded a double double, and Maria McCallen scored a season-high 18 points in the hard-fought battle

    Both teams came out shooting well in the opening quarter, as 46 points were scored in the first 10 minutes. Bethany shot 60% from the floor, while the Barons shot 52.9% from the field. The Bison made two more three-point field goals, as they held a six-point edge going into the second quarter. Scoring slowed down for both teams in the second quarter, with neither team shooting over 30% in the quarter. The Bison were able to expand the lead to 43-31 at halftime. Lucy Wilkinson led the Barons with nine points. 

    Maria McCallen led the way for the Barons in the second half, starting with a very close third quarter. The Bison edged the Barons 16-13 in the third, as action was back and forth. The Barons were able to score 17 points in the final quarter, but the Bison added 21 more points to secure the victory. 

Inside the Numbers 
- McCallen led the Barons with 18 points on 7-13 shooting.
- Melnyk had 13 points and 14 rebounds.
- Saez-Pedraza and Melnyk each had four steals. 

Up Next 
Franciscan remains at home to take on Westminster on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The Barons are in search of their first win over the Titans in program history. Last season, they fell in a pair of close battles. This will be their lone meeting of the 2025-26 season, as Westminster is in the PAC North Division. 

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