(WILMINGTON, Ohio) – After four games on the road to begin the season, the Wilmington College men's basketball team made their much anticipated 2023-24 debut on Hermann Court tonight against the Franklin College Grizzlies. The Quakers defeated the Grizzlies 82-69 to move to 4-1 this season. This was their first win over Franklin in program history, as Franklin had beaten Wilmington nine times in a row, with records of matchups dating back to December 10th, 1993.
The Quakers took an 18-13 lead in the first half and would hold a lead until a Nathaniel Hoffman layup gave the Grizzlies a 22-21 advantage with 6:25 remaining in the first half. The game was tied 28-28, but an 8-2 Franklin run to end the half gave them a 36-30 lead at the break.
Wilmington started the second half on a 13-6 run to give themselves a 43-42 lead with 14:31 left to play in the game after a three-pointer from Jayden Lewis gave them the advantage. The two teams would fight to a 51-51 tie with 11:11 remaining. The Quakers would lead the rest of the way after this, using a 24-3 run to put the game out of reach at 75-54 with 2:45 remaining. The Quakers would ice the game for the rest of the way to their 82-69 victory.
Notables
- Matthew Dugue led the Quakers with 20 points, grabbed five rebounds, and had three steals.
- Jayden Lewis scored 10 points.
- Gavin Heimlich led the team with eight rebounds, while Rashid Chisholm and Ben Golan each had six.
- Elijah Cathey led the team with five assists.
- The Quakers shot 50% as a team (31-62) and shot 45.5 % from beyond the arc (10-22).
What's Up Next
The Quakers head to Michigan this weekend to battle Hope College on Friday night at 7:00 P.M. in Holland, Michigan. They will then play at Calvin University on Saturday in Grand Rapids, Michigan at 2:00 P.M.
