The Giltner Hornets will wrap up 2023 with a road trip to face off against the Franklin Flyers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Franklin took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Giltner, who comes in off a win.
Giltner has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four games by 22 points or more this season. Everything went their way against Blue Hill on Tuesday as Giltner made off with a 48-26 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Giltner.
Giltner's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ethan Ballard, who scored ten points along with six rebounds and five steals. Ballard has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last six times he's played. Marshall Humphrey was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with five steals.
Meanwhile, Franklin's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their fifth straight loss. They might have been a little too into the holiday spirit, gifting Southwest an easy 56-33 win. Franklin was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 35-12.
Despite their defeat, Franklin saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Caiden Peterman, who scored six points along with five assists and five steals, was perhaps the best of all. Those five steals set a new season-high mark for him. The team also got some help courtesy of Eldon Haack, who scored nine points along with 14 rebounds.
Giltner now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Franklin, their defeat was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which bumped their record down to 1-6.
Friday's matchup is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Giltner have been dynamite from deep this season, having only made 36.1% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Franklin struggles in that department as they've only made 31.1% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
