Basketball Recap: Tuscola Comes Up Short

Tuscola had lost four straight at home, but on Thursday they dropped down to 2-18 to make it five. They had to suffer through an 86-48 loss at the hands of the Franklin Panthers. While losing is never fun, the Mountaineers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 544th, while the Panthers are ranked 83rd).

When it comes to explaining why Tuscola lost, don't look at Bryce Ferguson. Despite the final result, he posted 16 points. Elijah Hampton also deserves some recognition as he grabbed his first steal of the season.

As for Franklin, the victory was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 17-4. They have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 14 games by 27 points or more this season.

Franklin got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was JackJack Teesateskie out in front who almost dropped a double-double with 20 points and nine assists. Teesateskie is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 18 or more in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Will Rauers, who went 7-for-13 from beyond the arc en route to 23 points.

Coming up, Tuscola will face off against Pisgah at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The Mountaineers will be up against the Bears' rather soft defense (which has allowed 56.58 points per contest), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance. As for Franklin, they will take on North Henderson at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday.