NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. - The Manchester University men's basketball team earned a close 76-73 home victory over Franklin College in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Tournament action on Sunday, February 18th.
 
The Spartans started strong on a 5-0 run to start the first half. The Grizzlies responded by getting their offense going and taking the lead 15-12 with 11:21 on the clock. Junior Logan Willoughby (Greenwood, Ind., Whiteland Community) would tie the game up with a quick jumper behind the arc. Manchester's offense continued to fire as they took a seven-point lead, their largest lead of the game, with 5:48 left to play in the opening period. Franklin would bounce back and cut the lead to one, making the score 30-29 at the half. The Spartans shot 37.5% beyond the arc to the Grizzlies 20%.
 
As the second half got underway Manchester and Franklin would battle back-and-forth, with both teams seeing 14 lead changes in the second half. The Spartans were able to take the lead 67-66 with 2:03 left in the half. The Spartans closed things out by knocking down all four of their free throws in the final seconds, while the Manchester defense held off Franklin for a 76-73 victory.
 
The Spartans had four players with double-digit scoring. Manchester was led in scoring by Zach Sawyer (Columbus, Ohio, Bishop Watterson) and Logan Willoughby with 17 points. Sawyer tacked on nine assists and three steals. Senior Coy Hampton (Park Forest, Ill., Crete Monee) recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Blake Shewmaker (Bargersville, Greenwood Christian Academy) shot 80% from the field en route to 12 points on Sunday.
 
The Grizzlies were led by sophomore Jessie Morgan Jr with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and one block. Franklin concluded the 2023-24 season with an overall record of 12-13.
 
With the win, the Manchester men's basketball team will face the top-seed Anderson University Ravens in a Semifinal matchup on Friday, February 23rd. The contest is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. in Anderson, Ind.