The Franklin Central Flashes will challenge the Avon Orioles at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Franklin Central is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last four games.
Last Saturday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Franklin Central beat Roncalli 59-55. Given the Flashes' advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 26th, while the Royals are ranked 97th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
| 01/11/25 vs Roncalli | 21 |
| 12/28/24 vs Columbus North | 17 |
| 12/21/24 @ Zionsville | 16 |
| 12/27/24 vs Borden | 9 |
| 12/27/24 vs Eastern | 6 |
Franklin Central found their leader in sophomore Payton Duvall, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 18 boards. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Duvall has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Lily Graves, who posted 13 points.
Franklin Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Avon was just a bucket shy of victory on Tuesday and fell 41-40 to Ben Davis. The game marked the Orioles' lowest-scoring match so far this season.
Franklin Central will have to keep a close watch on Makaylee Butts and Mya Thompson, a pair of players who had a big impact on Avon's prior game. Butts went 6 of 14 on her way to 16 points and three steals, while Thompson had 11 points and three steals. That's the most steals Butts has posted since back in November of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Erika Larson, who put up three points along with 11 rebounds and four blocks.
Franklin Central is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 13-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.3 points per game. As for Avon, they dropped their record down to 10-9 with the loss, which was their fourth straight at home.
Franklin Central was able to grind out a solid victory over Avon in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, winning 57-47. Will Franklin Central repeat their success, or does Avon have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
