Basketball Recap: Franklin Community Takes Loss Despite Strong Performances from Tony Barnes and Kolt Nelson

It's hard to turn regular season success into postseason wins, a fact Franklin Community can now relate to. They lost 75-51 to the Columbus East Olympians on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Grizzly Cubs have suffered since November 25, 2023.

Franklin Community's loss came despite strong showings from Kolt Nelson and Tony Barnes. Nelson shot 44% from the field en route to 19 points and seven rebounds, while Barnes posted 11 points in addition to six boards and three steals. Jayce Nielson was another key player, putting up eight points and five assists.

Keaton Lawson was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double with 18 points and 12 boards for Columbus East. The match was Lawson's sixth in a row with at least 16 points. Another player making a difference was Danny Coriden, who went 6-for-10 from beyond the arc to rack up 18 points.

Franklin Community has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 8-14 record this season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.5 points over those games. The victory (which was Columbus East's fourth in a row) raised their record to 15-9.

Franklin Community does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Columbus East, they wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next contest, a 63-59 defeat against Whiteland on the 8th.