The East Central Trojans will take on the Franklin Community Grizzly Cubs at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Franklin Community took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on East Central, who comes in off a win.
East Central took a loss when they played away from home last Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They managed a 46-42 win over Connersville. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Trojans as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Natalie Stenger
| 01/30/25 vs Connersville | 8 |
| 12/27/24 @ Greenwood | 7 |
| 01/14/25 @ Dixie Heights | 7 |
| 12/21/24 @ Batesville | 7 |
| 01/23/25 vs Madison | 6 |
East Central found their leader in freshman Natalie Stenger, who went 6 of 12 on her way to 17 points in addition to eight boards and four steals. Those eight rebounds gave Stenger a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Audrina Dugan, who posted 11 points.
Meanwhile, Franklin Community was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Thursday as they fell 55-50 to Jennings County. The Grizzly Cubs have struggled against the Panthers recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.
East Central will need focus on slowing down Maggie Doty, one of several Franklin Community players who made an impact when they last played. She went 7 for 9 en route to 18 points and seven boards. Doty is trending in the right direction considering she's improved her point production for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Ella Mccrary, who scored 14 points.
East Central's win bumped their record up to 10-11. As for Franklin Community, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-15.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: East Central has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Franklin Community struggles in that department as they've been averaging 24.5 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
East Central came up short against Franklin Community in their previous meeting back in February of 2022, falling 78-65. Can East Central avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
