The Elk Grove Thundering Herd's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight defeat. They took a 65-47 bruising from Franklin. While losing is never fun, Elk Grove can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 511th, while Franklin is ranked 95th).
Several Thundering Herd players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Cody Pinckney, who scored seven points along with five rebounds. Jason Raga was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with two steals.
Franklin's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Aiden Rollins, who scored 13 points along with eight assists and six rebounds. It was the first time this season that Rollins posted eight or more assists. Another player making a difference was Gregory Piotrowski, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds.
Elk Grove has not been sharp recently as the team has lost eight of their last ten games, which put a noticeable dent in their 10-17 record this season. As for Franklin, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 22-6.
Elk Grove does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Franklin, they will be playing at home against Folsom at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Folsom knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past nine contests -- so hopefully Franklin likes a good challenge.
