Franklin girls come up short

<p>INDIANAPOLIS</p><p>In a topsy-turvy game, Southport sped out to a large lead, lost it, but managed to get it back and hold on for a 53-49 girls basketball win over Franklin Tuesday night.</p><p>It took two free throws with three seconds left from senior guard Ashley Raisor to seal it for the Cardinals and give them their first win of the year after an 0-3 start.</p><p>Inconsistency and low percentage shots spelled doom for Franklin (0-2).</p><p>“Give credit to (Southport),” Grizzly Cubs coach Josh Sabol said. “We would make shots and then we couldn’t get a stop and then we would make a shot. If we could put some of those together tonight … that’s the next step for us.</p><p>“We can’t trade baskets.”</p><p>Southport jumped out to a 17-4 lead and had all but forgotten about their last game against sixth-ranked Hamilton Southeastern, where the Royals blew out the Cardinals by 77 points. This game could have been a wipeout for the Cubs, but Franklin showed remarkable poise in coming back.</p><p>After forcing up several prayers, the Cubs started showing more patience, selecting their shots while letting the Cardinals force theirs.</p><p>The result was an 11-5 run in the second quarter that had the Cubs trailing the Cardinals by only three, 22-19.</p><p>Southport started the third quarter out like the first, stringing together some points — something the Cubs couldn’t do, second quarter aside.</p><p>The Grizzly Cubs looked to have some momentum in the fourth after taking a brief 47-46 lead, but it was all Southport after that, as the Cardinals built up a nine-point lead with 3:23 to play.</p><p>Franklin cut it to three with 55 seconds left but couldn’t get that crucial basket.</p><p>Freshman Kuryn Brunson led the Cubs with 18 points, while junior Hailee Robbins added 14.</p><p>“We’re still very young, but we’re improving,” Sabol said. “It’s no excuse (for losing). We have to play better.”</p><p>Up next for Franklin is a tough test at 3A second-ranked Greensburg on Friday night.</p>