By Cece Razo
Staff Writer
In an exhilarating match against the Penn State New Kensington Lions, Franciscan University’s men’s basketball team fought hard for a victory of 88-67. The home game opener occurred Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Finnegan Fieldhouse.
The Barons asserted their dominance right at tip off. In the first half of the match, both teams played hard and aggressive. The Lions proved to be equally skilled and a force to be reckoned with.
The two main MVP’s during this half were sophomore point guard Sawyer Butler and junior guard Frank Bellissimo. Butler used confident and calculated moves to score a team-leading 17 points in the first half. Bellissimo sunk a few three-pointers, giving the Barons a consistent presence from beyond the arc.
Fifth year guard Josh Zimmerman was the glue that held the team together this half. His drive, determination and focus proved essential in keeping the team’s energy up.
The Barons did not just dribble the ball well, they danced, figuratively speaking of course, on that court. Franciscan focused on a team-oriented playstyle; no player ever took the ball for themselves but always looked for openings. At the end of the half, Barons took the lead 42-36.
In the second half of the game, the minute each team set foot on the court, the crowd could feel the energy shift. The Lions fought hard for rebounds and were never afraid to run for the basket after stealing the ball. Any blunder made by the Barons was taken as an opportunity to close the gap on the Barons’ lead.
But the Barons kept the momentum going with some highlight plays. Junior forward Travis Zimmerman performed an incredible jaw-dropping dunk. Comedically enough, his swinging feet in this move did result in a technical foul for hitting an opponent. Next play, he dunked once again, this time without the foul.
In the final minutes of the game, the Barons’ reserve team subbed in, ready to defend and hold onto the lead. Graduate student forward Nicholas Allienello swished a three-pointer, and freshman forward Volodymyr Trotsko made a two-point shot to finalize the win for the Barons.
An incredible first home game from Franciscan. Next, the Barons face off Penn State Beaver on Nov. 16 at 4 p.m. at Steubenville High School.