Franklin, Ind. - Winning two of its last three games, the Franklin College men's basketball team has hit its stride in the final weeks of the 2015-16 season, and hopes to keep the good times rolling in the season finale at Anderson University on Saturday, February 20, at 3 p.m. from Anderson, Indiana.
The Grizzlies' latest triumph was an 87-84 overtime victory at Transylvania University on Wednesday. Franklin also defeated 83-71 over Hanover College on February 10.
Aaron Mann (Indianapolis, Ind./Howe) heads into the final game of his junior campaign tied for the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) scoring lead with Bluffton University's Thayne Recker. Both players are averaging 20.7 points per game.
Mann also leads the team with 6.8 rebounds per contest. The guard is shooting 44.1 percent from behind the three-point field goal arc this winter.
Senior Trae Washington (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington South) leads the conference with 121 assists. He is averaging 16 points and has made 44 three-point field goals this season. Washington is tops on the team with 28 steals.
Junior John Beineke (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) scored a team-high 19 points in the win at Transylvania. That outburst has raised his season scoring average to 11 points per game. He leads the team with 21 blocked shots after tallying six blocks on Wednesday night.
Junior Robbie Prather (Franklin, Ind./Roncalli) rounds out the team's double-figure scorers at 10.2 points per contest. The guard has made 24 of 26 free throw attempts this season (92.3 percent).
Franklin is averaging 75.5 points per game and is making 39.3 percent of his three-point field goals for the season.
The Grizzlies could play the role of spoiler in the season finale. Anderson is in a three-way tie with Manchester University and Transylvania for fifth place, with a 9-8 HCAC mark. One of those three teams will not qualify for the six-team conference postseason tournament.
Anderson has lost its last three games, including an 84-67 home contest on Wednesday to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Trevor Lucas leads the team in scoring at 16 points per game. He is followed closely by Cole Hartman and Stanley Duncan, both averaging slightly more than 15 points per contest.
Anderson picked up a 97-94 double overtime victory over Franklin inside the Spurlock Center on January 16.
Live audio and statistics of Saturday's game will be available. In-game updates will also be available on Twitter (@FCAthletics). Like the Grizzlies on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinCollegeAthletics), and on Instagram (@fcgrizzlies).