For The Daily Journal
The Franklin girls basketball team entered Thursday night looking to halt a two-game losing streak.
Unfortunately for the Grizzly Cubs, they didn’t find what they were looking for.
Never gaining traction, the Cubs lost 59-43.
“It’s disappointing how we played, especially as we have played well the past six games,” Franklin coach Walt Raines said. “I guess you’ll have one of those nights like this, but it’s still frustrating.”
Franklin struggled offensively from the start. The Cubs (8-12) struggled from the field and at one point in the second quarter had made more free throws (six) and field goals (two, both 3-pointers).
Perry Meridian played at a quicker pace than the Cubs and dominated the boards, all of which hurt Franklin’s comeback attempts.
Perry Meridian at one point enjoyed a 22-point lead and, despite mistakes of its own, led comfortably most of the way.
On the night, the Falcons outrebounded Franklin 44-13.
Making matters worse for the Cubs were their shooting problems. They made only eight field goals. The rest of their points were the result of 23 free throws.
“We killed ourselves with our play,” Raines said. “We can’t play like that. We didn’t focus, and by far that’s our worst game of the season.”
Delanie Hill came off the bench to lead the Cubs with 13 points.
Perry Meridian was led by Sadie Hill with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman Melody Johnson had 14 points.
Perry Meridian improves to 6-11 with the win, only its second in the past six games.
Franklin has a long break before its next game, a Jan. 23 home game against county and Mid-State Conference rival Whiteland.
