TERESA DULAC
SPORTS EDITOR
Franciscan’s men’s basketball team played a tough and fast-paced game against Mount Aloysius Wednesday at 6 p.m., competing aggressively but losing by 14 points with the scoreboard at 74-60.
The Barons started out strong as senior guard John Noce made the first shot with the clock at 19:30 minutes.
There was a lot of scrabbling for the ball in the first 10 minutes of the game, and at 16:16 minutes junior center Joe Vernau scored, making the score 5-4, Mounties.
Senior forward Joe Schriner shot a 3-pointer at 15:25 minutes, and the score was 10-7 Mounties.
Junior forward Drazen Frankovitch went on a scoring spree and shot six points in three minutes, so by the 8:28 minute mark it was 20-17, Mounties.
The Mounties sped ahead and by 4:20 minutes were ahead by 10 points at 27. At 3:56 minutes, Vernau shot from under the basket, making the score 27-19, Mounties.
With 40 seconds left in the first period, junior guard Sean Hickey scored and by halftime the score was 39-23, Mounties. The second period began with the Barons scoring in the first minute, making the score 29-25, Mounties.
Scoring on both sides continued when at 12:35 minutes senior center Matt Trent made a great shot and the score was 39-29, Mounties.
At 10:20 minutes, Frankovitch put the ball in after both teams finished jostling for the ball, and the score became 47-32, Mounties.
Hickey shot four free throws in two minutes, and by 7:51 minutes the score was 56–36 Mounties.
The Barons picked up the pace, and senior guard Justin Mack shot a 3-pointer at 3:46 minutes, making the score 60-47, Mounties.
Near the end of the game the Mounties started to hold the ball to let the clock run down. They shot many free throws, as the Barons had multiple fouls.
At 1:22 minutes, sophomore forward Travis Lien shot a 3-pointer and then shot a free throw seconds later, putting the score at 66-56, Mounties. At 19 seconds, Trent shot from under the basket, and at 10 seconds he scored again, making the score 72-60, Mounties.
The clock ran out and the Mounties took the game at 74-60.
“We just got beaten,” said head coach Joe Wallace. “You know, Mount Aloysius played really well, they were together coming in. I thought they played really well.”
The Barons’ next home game is Saturday, Feb 15, at 2 p.m. against the D’Youville Spartans.