Playing their first NCAA tournament game since 2008, the Franklin College men’s basketball team looked to keep its unlikely postseason run going when it traveled to face top-seeded Illinois Wesleyan in the opening round of the NCAA Division III championships on Friday night.
Despite 18 points and nine rebounds from senior Matt Krause, the Grizzlies couldn’t extend their Cinderella ride, taking a 73-55 loss to the Titans.
Franklin College, which defeated the top three seeds to make a surprise run to a second straight HCAC tournament title last week, ends the season with a 14-15 record.
“We knew the quality of their program and their players,” Grizzlies coach Brian Lebowitz said. “We knew we would have to go a little unconscious and make a lot of shots to win at a place like this.”
The Grizzlies scored eight straight points to take an early 12-11 lead, and a 3-pointer from Ryan Wiggins put them back on top 17-16 before the Titans reclaimed the upper hand for good with runs of 11-3 and 13-3 before halftime.
Illinois Wesleyan led by double digits throughout the second half.
Wiggins and Carter Crowe had eight points apiece for Franklin College, which hit 12 3-pointers but shot just 19 for 51 (37%) from the field overall.
