Franklin knew it was playing an undermanned Greenwood squad on Tuesday, a situation that can have a team unknowingly take its foot off the accelerator.
Only the host Grizzly Cubs didn’t.
Franklin took care of business with a 73-15 victory in the opening round of the Johnson County tournament, placing three players in double figures and having 10 in all find their way into the scoring column.
The win sets up a much-anticipated doubleheader on Thursday at Franklin.
In the 6 p.m. first game, defending county champion and Class 3A No. 1 Indian Creek (4-0) battles 4A No. 4 Center Grove (4-0). The second semifinal puts the Grizzly Cubs (4-1) against Whiteland (2-2).
“Whiteland is going to play really hard, and they’re going to be well coached,” Grizzly Cubs coach Mike Armstrong said. “It will be a battle. These tournament games and these rivalries, they’re always tough games.”
Franklin’s most recent outing didn’t fall into such a category.
The Cubs carried a 32-0 lead into midway through the second quarter before Greenwood finally got on the board at the 3:23 mark.
Senior Scarlett Kimbrell buried a 3-pointer from the left corner 59 seconds into the third stanza to put Franklin up 41-6, thus ensuring a running clock the remainder of the game.
Shortly afterward, Armstrong pulled his starters so that his younger players could gain valuable varsity minutes.
Greenwood (0-5), which had seven of its players out due to injuries sustained in either practice or one of the team’s first four games, competed to the best of its ability.
“I think we played hard, so that was encouraging,” first-year coach Jenny Finora said. “We did some good things. I was proud of them for just going out and competing.
“We just have to get better every game no matter what adversity we face.”
Senior forward Erica Buening and junior backup Aubrey Runyon each scored 12 points to lead Franklin, while senior forward Brooklyn York added 10.
Sophomore guard Eliana Anderson topped the Woodmen with five points, and senior guard Breanna Pierce finished with four. Greenwood made only 5 of 35 field goal attempts (14%), and was outrebounded by Franklin, 27-17.
Senior Kennedy Urban came off the bench to lead the Cubs with six boards; senior Sophie Rinehold and freshman center Addi King were next with four apiece.
The Grizzly Cubs were guilty of 12 turnovers to the Woodmen’s 26.
“These are still early-season games. We still have things we want to work on both ends of the floor, and I thought it was a chance for us to work defensively against things that maybe we don’t see all the time,” Armstrong said. “It also gives everyone a chance to play, get some minutes in, especially early in the season to get their basketball legs. There are good things that come out of it.”
