Basketball Recap: Smoky Mountain Comes Up Short

Smoky Mountain lost against Franklin back in February of 2024 and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Wednesday. The Smoky Mountain Mustangs fell just short of the Franklin Panthers by a score of 63-60. While losing is never fun, the Mustangs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 386th, while the Panthers are ranked 120th).

When it comes to explaining why Smoky Mountain lost, don't look at Lane Plemmons. Despite the final result, he went 7 for 13 en route to 19 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayce Stillwell, who posted eight points and five rebounds.

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Previous 1 Games

01/15/25 - Home

60-63 L

Even though they lost, Smoky Mountain smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in eight consecutive games.

It was another big night for Jack Jack Teesateskie, who went 7 of 15 on his way to 23 points and six steals for Franklin. Teesateskie has been hot, having posted 15 or more points the last six times he's played. Max McClure was another key player, putting up 12 points and five boards.

The defeat snapped Smoky Mountain's winning streak at three games and leaves them with a 8-7 record. As for Franklin, the win was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 12-3.

Smoky Mountain has already played their next matchup, a 59-45 loss against East Henderson on the 17th. As for Franklin, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 91-61 victory against Hayesville on the 16th.