Transy improved to 20-4 overall and 11-2 in HCAC play, giving the Pioneers a two game lead over Franklin (17-7, 9-4) with just one game remaining in the regular season race. Coach Brian Lane's team tied Hanover for the HCAC crown a year ago. It is also the second consecutive 20-win season and the 23rd in school history for the 23rd-ranked Pioneers.
Transy shot just 39 percent from the field in the first half and found itself down by a point, 30-29, at intermission. The Grizzlies opened the second half on an 11-3 run to go up by nine, 41-32, on a three-point play by Dustin Marshall.
But the tide changed as Transy scored 11 of the next 13 points to tie the contest for the sixth time, 43-43 with 9:52 to go. Matt Finke, who finished with 17 points and six rebounds, tied the game on a traditional three-point play and Robert Pendleton gave Transy a brief lead, 46-45, on a long three.
Jace Redman gave the visitors their last lead of the game at 47-46 before the Pioneers went on an 18-7 run to make it 64-54 with 2:45 left. Bryan Howard, who entered the contest 18 points away from 1,000 for his career, had eight points during the spurt. He finished with 16 points and three assists.
Franklin hit a pair of late threes to make the final margin close.
The Pioneers shot 47 percent in the second half and finished at 43.1 percent (25 of 58) overall. Franklin, which got 25 points and 12 rebounds off the bench from Brandon Ray, was at 46.3 percent for the game (25 of 54). Ray hit 10 of 14 shots from the field.
Franklin shot just 25 percent from three point range on four of 16 while Transy was four of nine for 44 percent.
Pendleton had 12 points and five assists in the contest while freshman Joey Verax knocked in 11 points and grabbed five rebounds in a reserve role. Verax was five of nine from the field.
Transy's seven seniors, Robert Pendleton, Adam Cole, Marc Bain, Tyler Smithhart, Bryan Howard, Matt Finke, and Ryan Atwell, will make their final regular season home appearance on Saturday against Defiance and will be honored prior to the 3 p.m. tipoff.
Transy will also host a first-round HCAC tournament game at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 21. The conference's top four team all get first-round home games.
If the Pioneers advance on Tuesday, they would host the conference semifinals and finals next Friday and Saturday because they hold the league's top seed.