Basketball Game Preview: Franklin Panthers vs. Union County Panthers

The Franklin Panthers and the Union County Panthers will round out the year against one another at at 8:30 p.m. on Monday. Franklin knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past six games -- so hopefully Union County likes a good challenge.

Franklin picked up another tournament win on Saturday. They managed a 65-59 win over Towns County.

Franklin's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Noah Brannon, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten boards. That's the most boards Brannon has posted since back in December of 2023. Max McClure was another key player, going 9 of 18 on his way to 23 points and six rebounds.

Franklin smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in five consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Union County had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 21 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Saturday. They were the clear victor by an 83-62 margin over the Wildcats. The Panthers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four matches by 21 points or more this season.

Franklin has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 7-2 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 71.7 points per game. As for Union County, their win bumped their record up to 10-2.

Franklin came up short against Union County when the teams last played back in December of 2023, falling 70-66. Can Franklin avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.