The Tuscola Mountaineers struggled with assists on Friday (the Franklin Panthers had nine more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Tuscola took a serious blow against Franklin, falling 77-41. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Tuscola in their matchups with Franklin: they've now lost seven in a row.
When it comes to explaining why Tuscola lost, one person who can't be blamed is Jed West. Despite the final result, he scored 15 points along with two steals. West has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last four times he's played.
Tuscola struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only three offensive rebounds. They are winless (0-4) when they can't control their own glass like that.
Franklin was led to victory by William Rauers and Max Mcclure. Rauers scored 15 points along with seven assists and six rebounds, while Mcclure went 6 for 10 from beyond the arc en route to 34 points and 2 assists. Mcclure hasn't dropped below 15 points for ten straight games. Another player making a difference was Braylen Dezarn, who scored eight points.
Tuscola dropped their record down to 1-14 with that loss, which was their 18th straight at home dating back to last season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 50.9 points per game. As for Franklin, their win bumped their record up to 12-6.
Tuscola will head out on the road to face off against North Henderson at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. North Henderson presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Tuscola in North Carolina (North Henderson is ranked 131st, while Tuscola is ranked 571st). As for Franklin, they will be playing at home against Pisgah at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Pisgah's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last nine matchups.
