Franciscan 92, Capital 74

Franciscan Starters 
Sawyer Butler, Karl Yonkeu, Zach Oliver, Nathan Richards, Aiden Townsend

How It Happened 
    Franciscan faced an incredibly strong OAC opponent in the Capital University Comets today. For the first time since 1973 the Barons have defeated an OAC team and in a profound way. 
    The game was a battle at the rim. The Comets had multiple highly talented post players, and the Barons relied on their ability to drive into the lane to pressure the rim. This style of play led both teams to shoot at a 50% rate. The difference was each teams ability to guard the rim. The Comets were frequently out of position and tallied up many fouls. The Barons shot 18 free throws in the 1st half compared to the Comets three. That difference led to an immediate double digit lead the the Barons never let go of. 
    Offense came from all over the court for the Barons with five different players scoring at least 10, but the highlight is once again Sawyer Butler. His 29 points is at this point expected from him, but for today we will celebrate that his performance this afternoon has pushed him into the #1 spot in the nation in points per game. 

Inside the Numbers 
-Volodymyr Trotsko scored a career-high 10 points
-Anthony Ciola had a staggering 11 points in just 9 minutes of play
-The Barons had one of their highest shooting averages at 56% for the game

Up Next 
Franciscan will resume PAC play on Wednesday at Saint Vincent. 14 conference games are all that remains on the 2025-26 schedule, and this one is a big one. Saint Vincent and W&J lead the PAC South with 2-0 conference records. This will be the first of two meetings with the Bearcats, as the Barons are looking to beat them in Latrobe for the first time since the 2021-22 season. 

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