Barons Rally to Beat Hilbert

HAMBURG, NY – Rallying to make a comeback from a halftime deficit, the Franciscan University of Steubenville Barons basketball team took an 84-73 win against the Hilbert College Hawks on Sunday. With the victory, the Barons improved to 4-11 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference and 5-14 overall.

The Barons struggled in the first half as the Hawks dominated in rebounds, taking a 41-30 advantage into the locker room. However, the Barons opened the second half with Thomas Kleinschnitz, Josh Ducoulombier, and Matt Liedel scoring on multiple possessions to even the gap. A layup by Liedel tied the game, and two free throws by Ducoulombier on the ensuing possession gave the Barons the lead they held for the remainder of the contest.

Josh Ducoulombier had his best performance of the season, registering 29 points, the highest single-game total for the Barons this year. He shot nine for 14 on the night, including an impressive three for three from beyond on the arc, and was just one board shy of a double-double with nine rebounds. Connor Flanagan also had an impressive performance for the Barons with 15 points and nine boards, while Matt Liedel had 14 points and eight rebounds and Thomas Kleinschnitz finished with 14 points and four assists.

Cody Troutman was Hilbert’s offensive standout with 13 points, while teammate Dan McFarland contributed nine points and 10 rebounds.

“We really came together to make this victory happen,” Barons coach Sean Donovan said. “Hilbert really outrebounded us in the first half and Matt Liedel was only able to play for three minutes due to foul trouble. However, we came out with all cylinders firing for the second half. Duke [Josh Ducoulombier] had an amazing shooting night and led us with 29 points. We had four players in double-figures once again with Connor, Matt, and Thomas all breaking 10 points. We had a great effort today, and we’re hoping to carry this momentum into our home match against Mount Aloysius this Wednesday.”

The Barons host Mount Aloysius College at 8 p.m. Wednesday night.