Franklin Community and the Bull Dogs are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2016, but not for long. The Franklin Community Grizzly Cubs will take on the Columbus North Bull Dogs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Franklin Community is looking to tack on another W to their five-game streak on the road.
It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Franklin Community had no problem doing just that on Tuesday. They managed a 37-32 win over the Golden Bears. Given Franklin Community's advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked sixth, while the Golden Bears are ranked 98th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Franklin Community got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Scarlett Kimbrell out in front who scored five points along with three steals and two blocks. Another player making a difference was Lauren Klem, who scored nine points along with seven steals.
Meanwhile, Columbus North struggled with assists on Thursday (the Royals had 15 more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Columbus North suffered a rough 66-40 defeat at the hands of the Royals. Columbus North was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 37-16.
The match pitted two dominant guards against one another in Kaylie Harmon and Elliot Leffler. Leffler had a solid game and scored 13 points. Meanwhile, Harmon was balling out in the loss, scoring 23 points along with two steals.
Columbus North struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only three offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Franklin Community has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 16 of their last 17 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 21-3 record this season. As for Columbus North, they now have a losing record at 11-12.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Franklin Community have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Columbus North struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.9 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Franklin Community against the Bull Dogs in their previous matchup back in November of 2023 as the squad secured a 67-36 victory. Will Franklin Community repeat their success, or do the Bull Dogs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
