FRANKLIN, IND. – Junior guard Adrian Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind.) didn't give the flipping of the calendar a second thought earlier this week.
Manchester University's leading point getter and the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference's second-leading scorer picked up where he left off late in 2017, giving another opponent, this time Franklin College, fits throughout the evening at the Spurlock Center. He tallied 27 points on 10-of-27 shooting which included hitting a three-point bucket and going six-of-eight at the charity stripe while dishing out a team-best five assists and picked up two steals.
Even with his 18th straight double-double scoring total in tow, it wasn't enough to get Coach Gerad Good's team on the winning side of the HCAC standings. The host Grizzlies used a pivotal 10-2 run over the final 4:37 to slip past their guests 73-67.
Junior guard Justin Lukens (Herrin, Ill.) was also in double digits with 10 points, while a third junior guard, Keiton Hall (Lansing, Mich.), helped spark a second-half rally with three treys as part of a nine-point evening.
Manchester University (2-10 overall, 0-5 HCAC) returns home to face off against defending champion and preseason favorite Hanover College Saturday, Jan. 6. Game time is 3 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the two women's programs.