Panther women’s hoops are Battle of the States runners-up.
After a thrilling one-point win over Erwin Dec. 22, after Christmas the team traveled to Hiawassee, Georgia, for the 31st annual tournament at Towns County High School. There they won their first two games before falling in the final round.
On Dec. 27, Franklin faced Chesnee, South Carolina, in Game 1 of the three-round tournament.
Neither offense shot out of the gate in the first, managing just four points combined in the first four minutes. The Panthers soon heated up however, ending the first quarter with a 13-5 lead.
Franklin’s offense hit their stride to start the second, scoring 15 straight points including six from Finley Moffitt. Bristol Brooks added five points and one assist to end the half up 33-10.
Moffitt stayed hot after the break, posting six points, an assist and a steal in the third. Layla Maloy added five points and one assist to end the quarter up 55-21. In the fourth Rylee Greene posted four points, two steals and one assist en route to a 70-28 rout.
The win moved Franklin to the semifinal Dec. 29, where they met Hayesville in a rematch of their last preseason scrimmage. There the Panthers came out firing in the first, scoring 13 of its first 15 points. Hayesville answered however, ending the quarter down 17-12.
Hayesville stayed hot in the second, taking a one-point lead despite 3-pointers from Brooks and Maloy. Both teams stayed neck-and-neck through the rest of the quarter, with Franklin trailing 30-29 at the half.
Franklin regrouped in the third, scoring its first 11 to retake the lead by 10. Ann Stiles and Aubrey Newsome combined for eight points and a steal to end the quarter up 40-32. Brooks added nine points and a steal in the fourth to cement a 58-45 win.
From there the Panthers advanced to the tournament final, facing Union County, Georgia, Dec. 30. There Finley Moffitt looked sharp to start the game, scoring Franklin’s first six points and adding a steal. Both teams looked evenly matched throughout the first, ending the quarter tied 11-11.
Aubrey Newsome heated up in the second, scoring four of Franklin’s nine points and posting one of its three steals. Moffitt added four points of her own to end the half down 24-20.
The Panthers retook the lead in the third, getting five points, an assist and a steal from Brooks to end the quarter up by two. Union had the last laugh however, outscoring Franklin 21-4 in the fourth to win 51-36. After the game, Brooks and Moffitt were named to the All-Tournament team.
The loss dropped Franklin’s record to 6-5 overall, ahead of a busy first week of 2026. They hosted Andrews and Tuscola Jan. 5 and 6 before traveling to North Henderson Jan. 9.