Basketball Recap: Florence Gophers vs. Benjamin Franklin Chargers
After flying high against the Globe Tigers last Friday, the Florence Gophers came back down to earth. Florence fell to the Chargers 50-45. Florence was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Chargers apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in January of 2023.
Several Gophers players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Aubrey Farmer, who scored 13 points along with two steals. Farmer continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Keylee Scarbrough, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds and three steals.
Benjamin Franklin got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Jacey Blair out in front who scored 13 points along with seven rebounds and six steals. Blair has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last 16 times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Celest Chege, who scored 12 points along with seven steals and five rebounds.
Florence dropped their record down to 8-13 with that defeat, which was their fourth straight at home. As for Benjamin Franklin, they have been performing well recently as they've won 13 of their last 16 contests, which provided a massive bump to their 15-10 record this season.
Florence won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against the Crusaders at 3:00 p.m. on January 31st. Northwest Christian presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than the Gophers in Arizona (the Crusaders are ranked 89th, while the Gophers are ranked 202nd). As for Benjamin Franklin, they will be playing in front of their home fans against the Bears at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.