The Marion-Franklin Red Devils were the 68-58 winner over the Walnut Ridge Scots when they last played one another back in January of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. The New Year welcomed Marion-Franklin with a 76-39 whooping from Walnut Ridge on Friday. Marion-Franklin was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 47-22.
Marion-Franklin's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jahmadre Love, who scored 12 points. Another player making a difference was Neko Tuff, who scored ten points.
Marion-Franklin struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Walnut Ridge found their leader in underclassman Marquis Lucas, who scored 20 points along with six rebounds. The matchup was Lucas' third in a row with at least ten points. Dominique Aekins was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with three steals.
Marion-Franklin are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-5. As for Walnut Ridge, their win bumped their record up to 5-2.
Marion-Franklin will be playing in front of their home fans against Africentric Early College at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Africentric Early College is hoping to put an end to a three-game streak of away losses. As for Walnut Ridge, they will head out on the road to face off against South at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
