Franklin’s Kuryn Brunson, shoots a layup while surrounded by East Central defenders during Saturday’s regional semifinal at Columbus North.
Mike Wolanin | For the Daily Journal
COLUMBUS
Sequels tend to be regrettable in the movie industry, but not when it comes to girls basketball.
Second-ranked Franklin and No. 3 Bedford North Lawrence, again paired against each other in the championship game of a Class 4A regional, produced another nailbiter Saturday night.
The Grizzly Cubs won, 58-52, at Columbus North, using a 10-3 scoring run at the start of the third quarter to propel them to a second consecutive semistate berth.
Franklin (27-1) plays Mid-State Conference rival Mooresville (19-8) at Jasper High School on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Coach Josh Sabol’s squad hammered the Pioneers during the regular season, 62-37.
Senior guard Kuryn Brunson, a varsity mainstay since her freshman season, was around to see the program post sub-.500 records the first half of her career.
All of which makes a second straight regional title all the more special. Franklin won last season by downing BNL in its own gymnasium, 51-48, in the finale.
The Grizzly Cubs have modeled a bullseye the entire season, yet they continue to answer virtually every challenge — such as the one the Stars threw at them on Saturday.
“We like it. We like the challenge. It makes us better and it pushes us,” said Brunson after scoring eight points and collecting five rebounds against BNL. “No game is going to be easy, and I think we like that. We’re a competitive group.
“We’re going to take this week of practice to work on ourselves and get better, and hopefully pull through this time.”
Franklin’s other senior, forward Ashlyn Traylor, led Franklin with 19 points and six boards; junior guard Adelyn Walker came off the bench to score 14, and sophomore guard Scarlett Kimbrell delivered three of her four 3-pointers in the second half to finish with 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
In the day’s first semifinal, a 78-65 victory over East Central, the 5-foot-11 Kimbrell attempted only one field goal and was scoreless. Her long reach was valuable in other ways, however, with eight boards and a block.
Against BNL, it took Kimbrell only one make, from the right wing at 4:02 of the second quarter, to gain the confidence to keep shooting when the opportunity presented itself.
“My teammates had helped me out in the locker room. They gave me the confidence I needed and started giving me the ball, so I started shooting it,” Kimbrell said. “I just need to make one shot, and then get on a run.”
Bedford North Lawrence jumped out to a 10-4 lead to open the game. The Stars were ahead after one quarter, 17-14, and held a slim 24-23 advantage at halftime. Two Kimbrell treys, combined with a pair of Traylor baskets down low, got the Grizzly Cubs going early in the third.
The Stars rallied to take a 44-43 lead on junior guard Karsyn Norman’s deep 3 from the top of the key at 6:47 of the fourth, but Franklin went ahead for good after Traylor made two free throws and soph point guard Lauren Klem delivered a triple from the left wing.
Norman led all scorers with 26 for the Stars (24-3), with sophomore wing Chloe Spreen adding 13 points and nine rebounds.
Traylor poured in 32 points and Brunson 27 to lead Franklin in the morning semifinal.
The Grizzly Cubs led comfortably most the game, twice stretching the margin to 26 points in the third quarter — 49-23 and 51-25 — before the Trojans mounted a comeback that made it a seven-point game with 1:40 remaining in the fourth.
Franklin closed with six consecutive points on Brunson’s three-point sequence and three free throws from Walker.
Keying East Central’s comeback was 6-foot junior wing Josie Trabel, who scored 28 of her 31 points over the final two quarters. Franklin nearly shot as well from the field (27 of 47, 57.4%) as it did the free throw line (17 of 27, 63%) against East Central. The Trojans committed 20 turnovers to the Cubs’ 16.
Two completely opposite games, but the same result.
“The first game our girls were attacking the rim and getting layups. Tonight, it was more inside-out,” Sabol said. “You’re going to have coaches who scheme for you differently, and I thought our girls came up big and made some big shots and played some great defense.
“It really takes everybody. I’m just really happy for the kids. To go back-to-back regional championships is special.”
