ADAMS TOWNSHIP — Franklin made some clutch free throws in the fourth quarter Wednesday and defeated Clinton-Massie 60-57 in a back and forth girls basketball game at Brian P. Mudd Court.
The loss puts the Falcons at 4-7 on the year.
“Just a very frustrating loss,” CM head coach Hilma Crawford said. “Teams are getting way too many opportunities at the free throw line and converting. We have to protect the paint better. I thought the girls played hard and battled, but we simply have to make stops.”
Franklin trailed 38-35 going to the final period then made 10 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats were 8 of 12 going to the fourth.
Clinton-Massie had its share of fourth quarter shots from the charity stripe and connected on 6 of 11.
With top scorer Hannah Bowman out sick, the Falcons were shorthanded. Aidan Eades would lead scoring for both teams with 20 (10 in a wild fourth quarter). She would be followed for Massie by McKenna Branham with 18. Sophia Aldridge led Franklin with 18, followed by Olivia Truesdell who had 16, with eight in the fourth.
The game would start with teams trading baskets and leads, but Massie led 10-9 after one. The main story to start was Massie’s foul trouble which would come back to haunt them later, with Branham and Laila Davis both fouling out.
Massie began the second on a 6-0 run, focusing on penetrating to the rim and forcing Franklin to take a much needed timeout. Following the timeout, the teams combined for 23 points and Massie led 26-22 at the half.
Beginning the second half, Alex Pence and Addie Berry traded baskets. Every bucket was countered by the other team and neither seemed intent on pulling ahead until back to back three-pointers from Massie’s Rylee Long and Branham put them up 38-32. Franklin stayed close, however, with a buzzer-beater from Truesdell that kept Franklin within three going into the final period.
Franklin took the lead on a free throw by Truesdell and eventually pulled out to a 55-48 advantage. The Falcons battled back to tie the game 57-57 before Truesdell closed out the three-point win.
SUMMARY
Dec 21, 2022
@Brian P. Mudd Court
Franklin 60, Clinton-Massie 57
F^10^12^13^25^^60
CM^9^17^12^19^^57
(60) FRANKLIN (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Blevins 3-2-2-10 Lloyd 1-1-0-3 Aldridge 7-2-2-18 Berry 3-0-4-10 Mullens 0-0-0-0 Hall 1-0-1-3 Truesdell 3-1-9-16 Parker 0-0-0-0 TOTALS 18-6-18/24-60
(57) CLINTON-MASSIE (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Davis 0-0-1-1 Pence 3-0-0-6 Long 2-1-0-5 Redman 1-0-0-2 Phipps 2-0-1-5 Branham 6-2-4-18 Eades 8-1-3-20 TOTALS 22-4-9/17-57
FIELD GOALS: CM (22-56) Branham 6-10
3 PT FIELD GOALS: CM (4-10) Branham 2-5
FREE THROWS: CM (9-17) Branham 4-6
REBOUNDS: CM-29 (Eades 7 Phipps 6 Pence 4 Redman 4 Long 3 Branham 3)
ASSISTS: CM-9 (Eades 5 Phipps 2)
STEALS: CM-13 (Eades 6 Phipps 3 Branham 2)
BLOCKS: CM-0
TURNOVERS: CM-11
