Franklin College set the tone of Monday night's basketball game against Wabash early. A three-point basket by the Grizzlies' Jon Neill started an early offensive onslaught that led to an 18-point first half lead and an eventual 82-58 win by Franklin.
Wabash entered the game as the top three-point defensive team in the North Coast Athletic Conference, holding opponents to 29 percent from behind the arc. But Monday evening the Grizzlies would hit 13-of-28 three pointers (46 percent) to cruise to the victory.
The Little Giants shot 50 percent from the field (21-of-42), but could manage only five three-pointers themselves in the loss.
The Grizzlies added a second trey from Jace Redman to take a 6-0 lead before Aaron Brock would answer with the first Wabash basket of the contest nearly three minutes into the game. Andy Root drained one of the five three's for the the Little Giants to answer a basket and free throw by Neill to keep the game at a four-point spread. But another basket by Neill and a three by Redman sent Franklin to a nine-point advantage eventually going to a 25-11 advantage on Jeff Gasser's three-pointer midway through the first period. Wabash would get no closer than 12 points on a jumper by Brock in the paint in the first half before Franklin could stretch its lead back up to 15 at the break.
Brock hit a three in the first two minutes of the final period to trim the Grizzlies' edge to 12 points. It would be as close as the Little Giants would get. Franklin raced out to as much as a 30-point lead midway through the period before settling for the final 24-point victory.
Brock paced the Wabash effort with 13 point. Andrew Zimmer added 12 points. Redman was one of five Franlin players scoring in double figures. He led the way with 19 points. Neill tossed in 17 points.
Wabash falls to a 3-6 with the loss. The Little Giants will return to Franklin to participate in the Grizzlies year-end tournament December 29-30. Wabash will play Lakeland College in the opening game of the Goaltenders-Bankers Classic December 29 at 6 p.m.