STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – The Thiel College men's basketball team dropped a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game to the Franciscan Barons, 82-75, Wednesday night.
 
The Barons got off to a quick start, scoring the game's first five points, and scoring 13 of the game's opening 16 points. 
 
The Barons shot 46 percent from the field in the first half, giving them a 41-27 lead at the half.
 
The Barons would continue to make shots, opening the second half on a 15-5 run to open a 24-point lead. The Tomcats outscored the Barons 26-12, in the final 7:00 minutes, but the lead would be too much to overcome.
 
Thiel was led by freshman guard Mike Brown (Clinton, Md./Gwynn Park) who notched a career-best 24 points and three assists. Brown also shot 56 percent (9-16) from the field and 50 percent (3-6) from three-point range. Elijah Harden (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) and Marlon Ellerbee (Temple Hills, Md./Oxon Hill) each added 18 points. Ellerbee added six boards and four assists. Beni Lavodrama (Washington, D.C./Phelps ACE) notched a team-high eight rebounds.
 
Franciscan was led by Josh Zimmerman who tallied 22 points and seven boards. Colton Hage added 19 points and six rebounds. 
 
The Tomcats are off this weekend and return to action with a trip to Saint Vincent on Wednesday. The PAC game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.