Franklin men beat Bluffton

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By James Hornett, December 15, 2008

The Grizzlies improved their record to 5-4 (3-0 HCAC) while Bluffton fell to 6-2 (2-1 HCAC), one game behind the Grizzlies who are atop the conference standings.

 

The Grizzlies started the game on a 5-0 run and led the game five times in the first half. The Grizzlies were outscored in the paint, 22-20, off the bench, 11-6 and points off turnovers, 11-8. The Grizzlies led at halftime 41-40.

 

Both teams shot over 55 percent for the half. The Grizzlies shot 68 percent from the field with 2 three-point buckets. They were perfect in five attempts from the free throw line. Leading the Grizzlies were seniors Jared Catron with 12 points and Dustin Marshall with 10. Senior Jace Redman grabbed 3 of the teams 15 rebounds and also had 3 of the teams 5 assists.

 

Bluffton shot 55 percent from the field. The Beavers were four-of-10 from the three-point line and four-of-eight from the charity stripe. Senior Colt Cunningham led all scorers with 17 points and two offensive rebounds. The Beavers lost the battle on the boards 15-9. Junior Jordan Pothast came off the bench and garnered three of the team’s nine assists and senior Justin Rufenacht grabbed three rebounds.

 

The second half saw the Grizzlies score 51 points and capture a 20 point lead at one point. Franklin would never trail following that lead.

 

The second half was relatively even in the paint with 22 points each. Bluffton had a slight edge in points off the bench, 17-15.

 

The Grizzlies ended with five players in double figures. Freshman Will Conley led the team with 18 points. Seniors Catron, John Yochum, Redman and Marshall put up 14, a career high 17, 12, and 10 points respectively. Redman led the team with 5 of the team’s 27 rebounds and 6 of the 16 team’s assists.

 

Both teams shot over 60 percent in the second half from all three categories. The second half saw the Grizzlies shot 72 percent from the field on 18-of-25. The three point line treated the Grizzlies better in the second half. They shot 67 percent on 4-of-6 and shot 85 percent from the charity line with 11-of-13.

 

The Beavers shot 62 percent from the field on 16-of-26 shooting, with 3-of-5 from the three-point line and 6-of-9 from the free throw line. The Beavers ended the contest with 32-of-55 from the field, netting 58 percent. They shot 47 percent from three-point range on 7-of-15. The Beavers shot 59 percent from the free throw line on 10-of-17 shooting, which proved to be a factor in the outcome.

 

The Grizzlies shot 70 percent from the field on 35-of-50 attempts, 6-of-11 from the three-point area for 55 percent. Franklin shot 16-of-18 from the free throw line.

 

The Grizzlies will travel to Olivet, Michigan, to take on Olivet with a 7 p.m. tip-off time Tuesday, which can be heard on 89.5 FM.