The Grizzlies improved to 4-1 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference – FC’s best start in the league since the 1999-2000 season – and upped their overall record to 12-4. The Spartans dropped to 2-3 in the league and 8-8 in all contests.
Franklin steadily improved on its 10-point advantage at the intermission to increase its lead to 21 points at 60-39 with 8:50 remaining, but Manchester fashioned a 14-2 run to pull to within nine points at 62-53 with 4:20 to go. However, the Grizzlies responded with a 6-0 run with a lay-up by junior Nick Kane, a pair of free throws by senior Jared Sabelhaus and another lay-up by Kane to put the hosts up by 15. The Spartans never got closer than the final margin of nine the rest of the night.
The Grizzlies held a 36-26 lead at halftime after holding the visitors to just 37 percent field goal shooting (while shooting 54 percent themselves) in the opening period. Manchester shot 56 percent in the second half, but it wasn’t enough. Moreover, FC had just eight turnovers in the contest.
Both teams had balanced scoring attacks led by Franklin’s Sabelhaus with 15 points. Senior Nick Scott had 14 points, Kane tallied 13 and sophomore Alan Davidson added 10 for the Grizzlies. Manchester’s Jamaal Wade and Jon Cain tallied 14 points each, David Mattingly scored 11 and Julian Guess chipped in 10. The Spartans had 32 rebounds to Franklin’s 25, but committed 17 turnovers and were whistled for 24 fouls.