The Franklin Community Grizzly Cubs will take on the East Central Trojans at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
Last Thursday, Franklin Community was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 55-50 to Jennings County. The loss continues a trend for the Grizzly Cubs in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now lost three in a row.
| 01/30/25 @ Jennings County | 18 |
| 12/13/24 vs Greenwood | 14 |
| 11/15/24 @ Greensburg | 11 |
| 11/02/23 vs Mt. Vernon | 10 |
| 01/09/25 @ Mooresville | 10 |
Despite their defeat, Franklin Community saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Maggie Doty, who went 7 for 9 en route to 18 points and seven rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. The dominant performance gave Doty a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Ella Mccrary, who posted 14 points.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for East Central, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Monday. They secured a 46-42 W over Connersville on Thursday. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Trojans as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
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. Stenger is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last five games she's played. Audrina Dugan was another key player, putting up 11 points.
East Central's victory bumped their record up to 10-11. As for Franklin Community, their loss dropped their record down to 8-15.
Keep an eye on the arc in Friday's match: Franklin Community has made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having averaged 8 three-pointers per game. It's a different story for East Central, though, as they've been averaging only 3.6 threes. Given Franklin Community's sizable advantage in that area, East Central will need to find a way to close that gap.
Franklin Community was able to grind out a solid win over East Central in their previous meeting back in February of 2022, winning 78-65. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was East Central's Josie Trabel, who shot 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and dropped a double-double on 31 points and ten rebounds. Now that she won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Franklin Community to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
