HANOVER, Ind. – The Panthers (12-6 overall, 8-3 HCAC) knocked off Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference rival Franklin on Wednesday evening inside Collier Arena, 83-72.
 
Hanover landed four in double figures paced by fifth year Ty Houston (Union, Ky.) with a game-high 21 points. Junior Coleman Sater (Ellettsville, Ind.) added 16 points with nine rebounds while the duo of freshman Cam Freeman (Indianapolis, Ind.) and freshman William Herald (Fort Thomas, Ky.) added 11 points each.
 
In front of an electric crowd, the Panthers used the deep ball to erupt Collier Arena. Freeman and Houston led the charge early in the opening half netting back-to-back blows before Sater added a corner three-pointer to give HC the 24-19 advantage midway through the frame.
 
Herald showed off his range as he added another three-point dagger at the 8:15 mark when Houston drained a deep threat. The arena erupted in Herald chants after the first year connected for a pair of threes to give Hanover the 40-33 lead. The Panthers entered the intermission with the 44-37 advantage.
 
With all the momentum on their side, the Panthers continued to fire on all cylinders as Houston stepped up from long range. Junior Michael Donoho (Rockport, Ind.) pushed the difference to double digits at the 13:30 mark. However, Franklin was able to respond cutting the score to 66-62.
 
At the 4:16 point, Houston delt what seemed like the final dagger as Hanover claimed the 72-62 advantage. The rest was history with the fifth year securing the contest at the free throw line.
 
Hanover returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 27 when they travel to Bluffton. Game time is set for 4:00 PM.