Marion-Franklin is on a three-game streak of home losses (dating back to last season), South a two-game streak of away losses (dating back to last season), but someone's luck is about to change. The Marion-Franklin Red Devils will be home for the holidays to greet the South Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Marion-Franklin scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They breezed by Independence on the road to the tune of 91-37. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest win Marion-Franklin has managed all season.
Marion-Franklin's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Neko Tuff led the charge by scoring 20 points along with five rebounds. That's the first time this season that Tuff scored 15 or more points. The team also got some help courtesy of Tito Glass, who scored 15 points along with seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, South beat Africentric Early College 59-47 on Friday. Given South's advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 100th, while Africentric Early College is ranked 365th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
South's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Lajames Washington, who scored 19 points. The match was Washington's fifth in a row with at least ten points. Maurice Mccall was another key contributor, scoring 19 points.
The win got Marion-Franklin back to even at 2-2. As for South, their win bumped their record up to 4-1.
Marion-Franklin won a matchup that couldn't have been any closer in their previous matchup back in January, slipping by South 63-62. Will Marion-Franklin repeat their success, or does South have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
