Girls 5-0 to start season, eye conference title\
After beating Pisgah in double overtime off a last-second shot by Tori Ensley the previous Friday, on Jan. 25 the Panthers travelled to Mountain Six rival Brevard and bested the Blue Devils on their home court. The game was a fast-paced one in the early going, with both teams playing aggressively on both ends. The Panthers jumped out to an early 14-3 lead by way of 10 points from Sydney Williams, who was a downright problem inside for the Brevard defense. The Panthers’ defense gave the Blue Devils problems all quarter, getting hands in shooters’ faces and forcing Brevard to shoot from outside. The Panthers ended the quarter up 14-4.
The game’s pace slowed down a bit in the second, with both teams continuing their aggressive defense. Shots didn’t seem to fall for the Blue Devils, as the team’s scoring deficit and the Panthers’ size inside continued to force Brevard to shoot low-percentage shots. Franklin ended the half up 26-10.
The third quarter began even more slowly than the second, with several whistles gumming up the works in the opening minutes. Brevard’s offense began to pick up steam shortly after, finally getting their long-range shots to fall with three straight three-pointers to bring the score to 29-20. The teams traded points for the period’s remainder, with Franklin leading 36-24 at the break.
The game’s chippiness continued into the fourth quarter, with both teams seemingly getting more points off free throws than field goals. Coach Scott Hartbarger employed a full-court press for the final period, making things tough on the Blue Devils with man-to-man defense. Brevard likewise frustrated the Panthers in the period, getting several stops with their own half-court defense. The Panthers began to sweat a bit when a Brevard fast-break basket brought the score to 41-35, but quick buckets from wings Canaan Drake and Tori Ensley soon brought the Panthers back up 46-35. Shortly after, senior guard Kyndell Burns stole a Brevard inbound pass and drew a foul under the Blue Devils’ basket with 2:23 remaining to essentially ice the game. The Panthers would go on to win 55-39 and move to 3-0 on the season. Three players scored in double figures for the Panthers, led by Canaan Drake’s 21 points and a whopping 15 rebounds. Sydney Williams added 13 points and 8 rebounds, while Tori Ensley posted 10 points and 6 boards. After the game coach Scott Hartbarger said
After dispatching Brevard on the Blue Devils’ home floor, on Jan. 27 the Panthers returned to Tom Raby Court for a date with the Smoky Mountain Mustangs. The Lady Panthers jumped out to a big lead in the early goings, going up 9-0 before the Mustangs recorded their first points. The Panthers would continue their solid scoring throughout the quarter, headlined by a Nevaeh Tran three with a minute and a half remaining. Franklin would end the quarter up 14-6.
The second period began promisingly for the Panthers, when Sydney Williams put back a Canaan Drake miss and drew a foul just twenty seconds into the quarter. Scoring slowed down after that though, as the Panthers entered the mask timeout up just 16-9. Franklin led the Mustangs 20-13 at the halftime buzzer.
The low-scoring affair continued into the second half, as the third quarter featured plenty of fouls and turnovers. After entering the mask timeout up 29-22, Franklin received a scare when Smoky Mountain hit a three and added a free throw soon after to come within three at 26-29. The Panthers refused to give up their lead though, getting nine points including a Tori Ensley three to end the quarter up 37-29.
Scoring finally opened up in the fourth quarter, as the Panthers posted eight points including threes by Tori Ensley and Nevaeh Tran to begin the final period. After Franklin entered the mask timeout up 47-35, Smoky Mountain attempted a comeback, scoring five straight points to go down 47-40. Sydney Williams nearly shut the door shortly after though, converting a layup and drawing a foul to compete the three-point play with 2:25 remaining. Despite a furious comeback attempt by Smoky, the Panthers’ lead proved too great to overcome, and Franklin would secure the game 60-51 to move to 4-0 on the season. Sydney Williams, Canaan Drake, and Tori Ensley again scored in double figures for Franklin, with Ensley recording 16 points and 4 rebounds, Drake posting 13 points and 15 rebounds, and Williams adding 12 points and 11 boards.
Boys earn first wins, sit at 2-3 at halfway point
After losing their first two games of the season at home, Franklin’s boys travelled to Brevard Jan. 25 and picked up a much-needed first win. The boys’ game started similarly to the girls’, with both teams playing fast against sticky defense in search of open looks, leaving little to separate the two teams early. Junior forward/center Miles McClure played a big role for the Panthers in the period, posting five points and frustrating Brevard on defense. Franklin would enter the break up 11-6.
The defensive slugfest continued into the second quarter, as more than two minutes elapsed before the period’s first points. Brevard’s offense eventually gained some traction, stringing a few baskets together to come within two at 17-15 with two minutes remaining. Senior guard Chad Wilson added two baskets and a free throw to end the half up 22-17.
The teams largely swapped points to begin the second half, with Franklin holding on to a 5-10 point lead. Much like the first half, both teams had trouble getting shots to fall in the period. Despite the poor shooting, the Panthers got a nice quarter from junior forward Trey Penland, who hit a three-ball to put the Panthers up 29-21 and added a block at the other end minutes later. Senior forward Seth Crupi tacked on another three to put Franklin up 34-26 as the quarter expired.
Both offenses seemed to wake up to start the fourth, trading big baskets in the period’s early going. After a Kellen Stiles three-ball forced a Brevard timeout with Franklin up 38-29, the Panthers continued their long-range shooting with three straight long-balls from junior Griffin Green to make it 47-29 (Green finished with 16 points and 3 rebounds). Thanks in part to Green and McClure’s 15 points and 5 rebounds, the Panthers would hold on to win 52-39.
After securing their first win of the season against Brevard, the Panther boys returned to Tom Raby Court Jan. 27 for a date with Mountain Six rival Smoky Mountain. The Panthers’ offense came roaring out of the gate against the Mustangs, getting threes from Trey Penland and Griffin Green in the first two minutes and never looking back. Franklin would continue its long-range scoring throughout the quarter, posting seven three-pointers in all including three from Penland. Franklin would double up the Mustangs’ score to end the quarter up 28-14.
Despite a few early buckets including a fourth three from Trey Penland, the Panthers understandably could not maintain their breakneck first-quarter pace. After entering the mask timeout up 35-17, Griffin Green came on strong for the Panthers with five points to put the Panthers up 40-22. Franklin would head to the locker room up 44-24.
Green continued his solid game in the third, adding a long two-pointer and two clever dishes to Chad Wilson to account for six straight Panther points in the opening minutes. After entering the mask timeout up 54-30, Franklin got some nice plays from junior guard Grant Adams, who drew an offensive foul on a screen and recorded a block. The Panthers ended the quarter up 58-32.
Franklin put its starters on the floor for the start of the fourth, wary of a Smoky comeback despite their 26-point lead. The Mustangs came out firing to start the period, recording eight points in the first two-and-a-half minutes to bring the score to 40-62. The Panthers kept the door closed however, getting a three-ball from senior guard Dexter Jennings moments later to quickly stem Smoky’s momentum. The Panthers would hold on 74-56 to secure their second straight win. Three players scored in double figures for the Panthers, led by Trey Penland with 16 points and 5 rebounds. Chad Wilson added 14 points and 2 rebounds, while Miles McClure posted 11 points and 8 boards.