<p>When seven different players combine to make 14 shots from behind the 3-point arc the way Franklin did Thursday night, it’s easy to overlook what a team does defensively.</p><p>In the Grizzly Cubs’ case, it’s throw four quarters of clogged lanes, deflected passes and on-the-ball pressure at visiting Bloomington North in what amounted to a 77-25 victory that improved Franklin’s record to 6-0.</p><p>Coach Josh Sabol’s squad harassed the Cougars into 33 turnovers.</p><p>“We want to get as many possessions in a game because we feel that we shoot it well enough,” Sabol said. “If we can speed the game up, play with pace and get as many possessions as possible, it’s going to be a huge advantage for us.”</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>Franklin drained 10 triples in the first half alone, including five from freshman guard Lauren Klem. She and classmate Scarlett Kimbrell, a 5-foot-11 wing, led a balanced offensive showing by the Cubs with 15 points apiece. Junior guard Kuryn Brunson was next with 13 points, five rebounds and numerous feeds to teammates for points, while senior guard Kyra Baker hustled her way to 12 points.</p><p>As a team, the Grizzly Cubs made 31 of 59 field goal attempts (52.5%) and shot one free throw the entire evening. Bloomington North (3-7) didn’t fare nearly as well from the floor, converting only 8 of 34 attempts (23.5%).</p><p>“We practice how we play, so our defense makes our offense better,” Baker said. “If we work hard on defense, we’ll get easy shots, and if we’re not hitting our 3s, then we have our layups. I think our defense tonight was a lot better than our previous game (against Decatur Central). We worked really hard the past couple days in practice trying to get back in the swing of things.”</p><p>Bloomington North scored the game’s first points for its only lead of the game.</p><p>Three of Klem’s treys were in the opening quarter to help Franklin open up a 19-5 lead. The Grizzly Cubs outscored the Cougars in the second stanza, 27-4, while forcing 11 Bloomington North miscues.</p><p>Franklin, which plays a key Mid-State Conference game at Plainfield on Saturday night, made 14 of 33 attempts from long range.</p><p>“Our biggest philosophy is shooting is the most important skill,” Sabol said. “That is the staple of our program, and we work on it tirelessly. We feel that is our biggest advantage. It starts with defense. It starts with rebounding, and if you do those things well, you’re going to be rewarded on the offensive end.”</p>
