MBB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

All-Conference awards have been announced

Player of the Year – Maurice Knight, Anderson University
Defensive Player of the Year – Maurice Knight, Anderson University
Newcomer of the Year – Hunter Penn, Transylvania University
Coach of the Year – Jon Miller, Hanover College

1st Team: Anderson, Bluffton, Defiance. Franklin, Hanover, Transylvania (1)
2nd Team: Hanover (2), Earlham, Manchester, Rose-Hulman, Transyvlania (1)
Honorable Mentions: Mount St Joseph, Rose-Hulman (2), Anderson, Defiance, Earlham, Hanover (1)

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

The definition of it's hard to beat a team 3 times in a season...
3 seed Defiance beat Franklin by 3 and 13, Franklin wins in the quarterfinals 81-69
2 seed Rose-Hulman beat Franklin by 7 and 26, Franklin wins in the semifinals 73-54
1 seed Hanover beat Franklin by 24 and 25, Franklin wins in the final

Freshman Cody Samples averaged less than 5 points a game this year and had only scored double figures five times in 23 games. He went off for 34.

Grizzlies didn't get to go dancing last year after winning the tournament, they get the chance this year. Go Grizzlies

[Baldini]

Congratulations to Franklin in winning the tournament and AQ for the HCAC. So, is a date with Marietta the next stop for Franklin? Good luck to the Grizzlies wherever they may go. 

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

I'm sure they'll be cannon fodder for a top team, my guess is Marietta or UW-Oshkosh. But it's the first tournament since 2008 so I'm gonna enjoy the game regardless. Although one more upset is needed to avoid a losing season. They've won 5 of their last 6 just to get back to 14-14 for the year.

Hanover still has an outside chance of getting a Pool C.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Franklin has their task. They're headed to Illinois Wesleyan to face the Titans.
Better draw than I expected... it's gone from far bigger than 2015 Defiance over Whitewater levels of upset to probably just slightly below. Let the madness commence

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Lots of boos from the IWU crowd when Franklin players were announced. Hope that fired the Grizzlies up. It's game time.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Grizzlies won't let IWU lead wire to wire. Took a brief lead at 12-11 with 8 straight points but Titans have recovered.
Leritz is going to be an issue for the Grizzlies in the middle.  Hopefully Franklin can stay hot from 3 because we're probably not getting many offensive rebounds tonight.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Lots of boos from the IWU crowd when Franklin players were announced. Hope that fired the Grizzlies up. It's game time.

UGH!  If what you report is true (and I'll assume it is), my apologies as a green-bleeding Titan.  We NEVER behaved like that in my day (admittedly over 50 years ago.)

Lots of booing DURING the game, but never before it started!

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Grizzlies had the lead but Titans with a 24-9 run to end the half and Franklin is down 40-26 at halftime.
Franklin has 7 turnovers to IWU's 1. Need to flip that.
Only 2 offensive rebounds, didn't think they'd get many second chances.
6 of 15 from deep, 40% isn't bad but it's not going to be enough tonight, need to get hot in the 2nd half.
Just 9 fouls between the teams, they've been letting them play.

20 minutes left, just need to chip away at the lead. 1 extra basket every 2 minutes and the game is tied with 6 minutes left. Can't let the Titans start the half on a run.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Franklin has been cold in the 2nd half and just can't get rebounds. 20 point game with under 9 minutes left. Looking dire at this point. Have to be perfect the rest of the way but otherwise it's the final minutes of the season.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

55-73 final. I'm not sure how it got that close in the end, seemed like it was going to be at least 30 points.

IWU 11-3 fast break points
IWU 19-4 second chance points
IWU fewer turnovers 6-15
IWU 12-2 steals
IWU 43-31 rebounds
IWU 15-4 offensive rebounds

Still, Grizzlies didn't get to go to a tournament last year so this was a nice reward for that. Matt Krause was the only senior on the team so hopefully they can make up for his loss next year and at the very least have a winning record.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

https://franklin.prestosports.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/releases/20220307manxbu

Brian Lebowitz is stepping down as head coach at Franklin.

[Next Man Up]

Appears Chris Hamilton, an assistant at my alma mater Nebraska Wesleyan, will become the next head coach at Franklin.
Hamilton has been at NWU for the last four years. Prior to that he was an assistant at Randolph-Macon.

[Jester1390]

well one down hopefully the other will follow.    DePauw announced hiring of rose hulman  mens coach. No announcement by Rose so i dont think this is a friendly breakup.   

[itsnotmeitsyou]

What are you talking about? You clearly don't know how hiring (and subsequent announcements) works in the college coaching world...