A strong season is over for Panther women’s hoops.
Four days after the Mountain Eight Conference Final, on the week of Feb. 23 Franklin tipped off the state playoffs, entering the tournament as the 5A West’s 11th seed. With a win over Jay M. Robinson they advanced to the second round, where they fell to #6 Hickory to end their winter season.
On Feb. 24, they hosted Robinson (Concord) on Tom Raby Court for a first-round game with the 22nd-ranked Bulldogs. There Franklin dominated the first quarter, scoring 29 points including 14 from Bristol Brooks. On the other end the Panthers racked up seven steals and a block, including two apiece from Brooks, Finley Moffitt and Rylee Greene.
Down 29-4, the Bulldogs regrouped in the second, despite seven more Panther steals including three from Bailey Bryant. Moffitt added five points to end the half up 40-22.
Brooks and Greene stayed hot after the break, posting six points and two steals apiece in the third. Moffitt added four points and a block to end the quarter up 61-34.
Senior Meliah Mason heated up in the fourth, scoring six points including two from long range to ignite the home fans. Moffitt and Alyssa Awtrey added four apiece en route to a 78-48 rout.
“It just feels good because it’s probably going to be my last time playing here, and it was a sentimental moment,” said Mason of her final game on Tom Raby Court. “It’s different because all the senior stuff is all about me, and it really makes it real this year.”
As Franklin’s only senior, Mason took on a leadership mantle this year, providing a veteran presence on a team full of young talent. After the midseason resignation of longtime coach Scott Hartbarger, Mason was thrust into an even bigger role.
“It wasn’t hard, because he’s always been there for us as an assistant coach,” she said of interim head coach Justin Moffitt, who took over roughly halfway through the regular season. “It was just different to see him in a different role, but it was a pretty smooth and easy transition for us and myself. … It was kind of the same; we changed some different drills, and then when Anna [Stiles] got hurt things kind of changed. I started to start, and so it was just a different group.”
When Stiles, a guard, suffered a season-ending lower leg injury, the team took more of an inside-out approach, with Mason and Moffitt forming a fearsome forward/center duo. That formula propelled Franklin to its deepest playoff run in five years.
“We haven’t made it to the second round in a while,” said Mason. “My whole time I’ve been here we’ve never made it, so it’s like, ‘Woo-hoo!’”
In routing Robinson, Franklin advanced to Round 2, traveling to Hickory two nights later. As the West Region’s #6 seed, the Red Tornadoes had enjoyed a first-round bye.
Franklin came out firing early, scoring the first eight points including 3-pointers from Brooks and Greene. Despite two blocks and two steals from Moffitt, Hickory fought back to end the quarter down by three.
Moffitt stayed hot in the second, posting six points, a steal and a block. Hickory kept pace however, ending the half tied at 21.
Maloy heated up in the third, racking up a steal and eight points including two 3-pointers. Slowly Franklin began to pull ahead, ending the quarter up by six.
Franklin’s defense dominated the fourth, racking up two blocks and six steals including three from Awtrey. Brooks and Moffitt added five points apiece to win 45-40.
From there Franklin moved to the 5A West quarterfinals, traveling to Northwest Cabarrus two days later. As the region’s third-ranked team, the Trojans had routed 14th-ranked Smoky Mountain in Round 2. There Cabarrus lived up to their billing, taking an early lead and never looking back en route to a 58-43 win.
In falling to the Trojans Franklin ended their deepest playoff run since 2019-20, finishing with a final record of 17-13. With a 10-5 mark in the Mountain Eight, they placed third in the regular season and second in the conference tournament.