Franklin, Indiana- In a rematch from the Thursday evening matchup the Lions were able to turn the tide and take a road win from Conference Rival, Franklin College. This win serves as the Lions second victory going into the final scheduled week of HCAC regular season play.
This game looked like it could get ugly for the Lions early as they found themselves in an early 8-0 hole, Brady Thomas (Grove City, OH/ Bishop Ready) was finally able to start the Lions offense with a 3 point basket at the 15:09 mark. The offense after that point seemed to pull it together, mounting an 11-3 run to tie the ball game. This run allowed the Lions to keep the game close going into the half, as they trailed by a score of 36-29
Entering the final half of basketball the Lions caught a spark from Thomas, in the First Half he was held to 9 points, in the second half Thomas managed to score 24 out of the Lions 46 2nd Half points. This Half also saw the Lions defense put a hold of Franklin's offense, holding the Grizzlies to 25% 3-point shooting from behind the 3-point line. The combination of a Hot-handed Lions and solid defense allowed the Lions to comeback from a 7 point deficit in the first half, to walk away with a 75-72 win.
The performance that stood out for the Lions this afternoon was that of Thomas who had a season high 33 points this evening, these points were in part thanks to his great shooting, going 7-8 from deep. Additionally the Lions had a boost from Devin Young (Crestwood, KY/ South Oldham) who have the Lions 13 points and blocking 2 shots. Sophomore Avery Paddock (Alexandria, IND/ Alexandria) had a great all around game as he was able to score 9 for the Lions, while also leading the team in boards with 9 and rejecting 2 shots.
The Lions will be back in action on Friday, February 19th when Defiance travels to the Harrington Center to take on the Lions. The game is set to start at 7:30 PM. For more MSJ coverage continue to follow msjlions.com
