David Yaraschefski led the Engineers with 12 points.

TERRE HAUTE, IND. -- Franklin College withstood a late Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology rally to earn a 58-50 victory in the Engineer men's basketball home opener on Wednesday night.

Jon Neill and Luke Tudor led the Grizzlies with 14 points each, while Dustin Marshall added 11 for Franklin.

Senior David Yaraschefski (Mooresville) paced Rose-Hulman with 12 points on 5-6 from the field.  Junior Jason Bednarko (Athens, Ill.) also reached double figures with 10 points.  Junior Phil Sundling (Huntington/North) helped direct the offense with a career-high six assists and six points.

Franklin shot 34% from the field but relied on 20 offensive rebounds in the victory.  The Engineers shot 50% from the field in each half but committed 20 turnovers in the contest.

Franklin jumped out to a 31-19 lead at halftime by scoring eight consecutive points midway through the opening stanza.  The Grizzlies led 18-15 after a three-pointer by Rose-Hulman senior Brian Bibb (Hoopeston, Ill.), then scored eight points over the next three minutes to gain the double-figure halftime edge.

In the second half, Franklin extended the lead to a game-high 15 points on a three-pointer by Tudor at the 19:02 mark.  The Engineers chipped away at the margin, moving within 41-33 on a three-pointer by Bednarko with 13:08 left.

Franklin again earned a double figure lead at 43-33, before the Engineer defense stiffened.  Rose-Hulman held the Grizzlies without a point for 6:32 to move within 43-39.  Franklin responded to gain another eight-point lead at 51-43 on a three-pointer by Neill with at the 1:53 mark.

Lorenzo Rice skies in the lane for two points.

Rose-Hulman began its late charge with a free throw by Bednarko and a layup by junior Phil Sundling (Huntington/North) with 55 seconds left to move within 51-46.  Junior Jared Moore (Indianapolis/Perry Meridian) stole the inbounds pass and passed to Bendarko, who buried a three with 47 seconds left to cut the margin to 51-49.

The Grizzlies hit five consecutive free throws to regain a 56-49 lead and held the Engineers to just one point in the final 45 seconds to move to 3-3 on the season.

Rose-Hulman dropped to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in league play.  The Engineers host Bluffton University in HCAC action on Saturday at 3 p.m.

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