Basketball Recap: Smoky Mountain Takes a Loss

Smoky Mountain suffered their biggest loss since January 22, 2024 on Tuesday. They were outmatched by the Franklin Panthers and fell 88-58. The Mustangs were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 52-32.

When it comes to explaining why Smoky Mountain lost, don't look at Custer Prenger. Despite the final result, he went 7 of 12 on his way to 18 points in addition to seven rebounds and three blocks. The team also got some help courtesy of Ben Brown, who went 5 for 10 to rack up 14 points along with five boards and three steals.

Franklin found their leader in sophomore William Rauers, who went 7 of 11 from beyond the arc en route to 22 points and seven steals. What's more, Rauers also posted a 54% shooting accuracy, which is the highest he's posted since back in December of 2024. Another player making a difference was Max McClure, who went 5 for 12 on his way to 13 points and eight rebounds.

Smoky Mountain now has a losing record at 10-11. As for Franklin, they are on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 games, which provided a nice bump to their 17-4 record this season.

Smoky Mountain wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next match, a 57-37 defeat against North Henderson on the 6th. As for Franklin, they have also already played their next contest, an 86-28 win against Swain County on the 5th.