Late shot lifts Cubs to win at Greenwood

What does one call a boys basketball game featuring nine ties and 21 occasions where the point differential was either one or two points?

Friday night in the Mid-State Conference.

A scoop and score by senior guard Jacob Rockey with three-tenths of a second remaining enabled Franklin to escape Greenwood’s gymnasium with a 48-46 victory in what was the second league contest for both programs.

The Grizzly Cubs improve to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the Mid-State standings. Greenwood despite a 17-point, 12-rebound output from 6-foot-6 junior post Jeffrey Reynolds, drops to 1-3 and 0-2.

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Spectators showing up wanting to be entertained most certainly were.

“Oh, yeah, that was fabulous,” third-year Franklin coach Brad Dickey said. “We were part of a great game right there. Greenwood is a good team, and I’m really proud of our guys for standing up to them and competing on the road.

“Greenwood has good players back from last season, but we also know them. Now I have the feeling they probably know some of our guys a little bit better. I’m just so happy for Jacob Rockey.”

Dickey during the final timeout told Rockey to shoot with three seconds remaining.

The senior took it even further, driving the lane and laying it in with no time for the Woodmen to respond.

“He waited until one second, so we’re going to have to get on him about that a little bit,” Dickey said with a laugh. “That was just very exciting. An awesome experience. I’m just proud to be a Franklin Grizzly Cub today, and I’m real happy for our guys.”

Rockey’s 14 points led Franklin, which converted only 21 of 52 field-goal opportunities (.404) and attempted four free throws. Sophomore guard Cory Richards also finished in double-digits with 10, while 6-2 senior forward Hunter Gross corralled a team-high nine rebounds.

Greenwood’s three losses this season have been by a collective sum of 11 points.

“Both teams played really hard, and I think that’s what you would expect,” Woodmen coach Bruce Hensley said after watching his program lose its eighth straight game to the Cubs. “I don’t think any team played harder than the other. They just made more plays.

“We still have got to learn how to play smarter. We’re just not playing intelligent enough. We had situations where we could have gotten control there late in the game. We either kicked it away or threw it away.”

Junior guard Max Raker tallied 12 for the Woodmen, who made 20 of 44 field goal attempts (.455) and won the rebounding battle, 24-22.

Thirteen of Reynolds’ points and eight of his rebounds came during the first half to lead the Woodmen to a 29-24 advantage at intermission.

Greenwood led by as many as six early on at 10-4 but couldn’t create separation beyond that.

The Woodmen saw its cushion trimmed to a single point at 40-39 through three quarters, but stretched it to three on two Eric Moenkhaus free throws.

Franklin responded with a triple from sophomore guard Reece Thompson and a basket from Richards.

A Reynolds’ hoop in close then gave way to a pair of Richards’ charities for a 46-44 Cubs’ lead. Raker’s layup off a Reynolds’ steal with 3:03 remaining in the fourth was the final tie of the evening, setting up Rockey’s heroics.

Franklin returns to its home court this evening to host Hauser, the lone Class A opponent on the Grizzly Cubs’ schedule. The Woodmen are also in action tonight, hosting Indianapolis Herron.