Panther women’s hoops are 4-1 in the Mountain Seven Conference.
On the week of Jan. 8, Franklin dove head-first into their conference schedule, traveling to North Henderson and hosting Smoky Mountain. With blowout wins in both games, the team moved to second in the conference standings, setting up a showdown at 4-0 West Henderson Jan. 16.
On Wednesday, Jan. 10, the Panthers traveled to North Henderson for a date with the struggling Knights. There, junior Cali Queen shot out of the gate, posting a steal and five quick points to give her team a 7-2 lead. Senior Avery Moffitt added three points and a steal to help end the first quarter up 14-4.
Moffitt stayed hot into the second, posting four points, a steal and a recovered loose ball to help make it 26-15. Junior McKenna Plemmons added five points, all assisted by Queen, to end the half up 31-17.
Franklin outclassed North again in the third, scoring the quarter’s first 13 points including six (plus two assists and a steal) from Audrey Pressley. Moffitt added four points and a block in the final minutes.
Up 55-21, Franklin’s second unit took the court for the fourth, getting six points and one assist from senior guard Avery Williamson. Sophomore forward Katelyn Foster added three points and two steals en route to a 68-34 rout.
Two nights later, the team welcomed Smoky Mountain to Tom Raby Court, with the 6-9 Mustangs still seeking their first conference win. There, the game got out of hand early for Smoky, as Franklin scored the contest’s first 12 points including seven from Moffitt. Williamson added a 3-pointer and a steal to end the first quarter up 15-2.
Moffitt heated up in the second, racking up 11 points including nine straight and a block in the period. Pressley added nine points, an assist and a steal to end the half up 43-15.
Plemmons continued the Panther rout in the third, posting eight points and taking a hard charge in the quarter. Franklin racked up four steals and held Smoky to just seven points in the quarter.
Up 58-22, Williamson helped put the game on ice with five points in the fourth. Senior Cassidy Parker added two points and an assist to cement a 66-29 win.