CINCINNATI, OHIO – The Mount St. Joseph University men's basketball team was defeated in the opening round of the HCAC tournament, 80–51, by Franklin College Saturday afternoon at the Harrington Center.
Franklin came out strong, taking a 9–2 lead heading into the first media timeout. The Grizzlies extended their lead to 11 before Jason Lavender knocked down a pair of free throws and Joe Brand made a layup, cutting the Franklin lead to 7 at 14–7. Franklin finished the half on a 19–12 run, going into halftime ahead 33–19. Lavender led the Lions in the first half with 5 points, all from free throws, while Brand and Braden Miller each added 4 points.
Less than four minutes into the second half, the Mount cut the Grizzlies' lead to 11 on a 7–3 run, fueled by 5 straight points from Miller and a pair of free throws from Cooper Ollis. The Lions found some offense throughout the half with a pair of three-pointers from Lavender and Ollis, who also added 5 free throws, but it was not enough as the Mount fell, 80–51. Lavender and Ollis led the Lions in the second-half scoring 6 points each.
The Mount was led by Ollis, who scored 10 points and went 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. Lavender and Miller each added 9 points.
The Lions' season ends in the opening round of the HCAC tournament. The Mount finished the year 14–12 overall and 12–6 in conference play. Lavender averaged 11.2 points per game, while Ollis averaged 10.7. Griffen Derry finished the season shooting 56.8% from three-point range.
