A 19-point first-half lead for the Franklin boys basketball team almost wasn’t enough Thursday night, but the Grizzly Cubs survived a late-game rally by visiting Brown County and topped the Eagles 72-63.
Franklin sophomore Cory Richards led all scorers with 17 points, while sophomore Reece Thomson added 16 as the Grizzly Cubs (11-5) won for the fifth time in their past six games.
Senior David Norman paced Brown County (3-13) with 15 points, while senior Josh Cochran chipped in 14 points, but the Eagles dropped their sixth straight game.
All five starters for the Grizzly Cubs hit at least one field goal in the game’s opening minutes, and Franklin quickly built a 14-0 advantage. In fact, the Grizzly Cubs hit 18 of their 32 shots in the opening half and led by as many as 19 points.
However, Brown County scored six unanswered points to open the game’s third quarter and ultimately took its first lead of the game when junior Isaiah Keefauver hit a layup at the 5:13 mark of the fourth. But Richards scored seven points during the game’s final five minutes to secure the Grizzly Cubs’ win.
“We got up and were ready today for the first half but we didn’t come out of halftime ready to play in the third,” Franklin coach Brad Dickey said. “We have to have good teamwork and when we don’t, we’re not very good.
“Our kids know it and that showed tonight. This was a great example of why we need to work together.”
Sophomore Blaine Wentzell rounded out the double-digit scorers for Franklin with a 13-point effort, while Keefauver and senior Eli Patterson added 12 and 10 points, respectively, for the Eagles.
Franklin hosts Columbus North on Tuesday. Brown County will take on Greencastle at home Saturday.
