Trojans hit 11 3-pointers, down Grizzly Cubs

Basketball gets a lot easier when shots are falling.

The Center Grove girls had it going on Tuesday evening, hitting 11 3-pointers on the way to a 56-31 home win against Franklin.

“When you shoot well, it helps,” Center Grove coach Kevin Stuckmeyer said. “The object of the game is to put the ball in the basket, and we did a good job of that.”

The Trojans (7-1) scored the game’s first 11 points against the cold-shooting Grizzly Cubs, who failed to make a bucket during the first 7:25 before Kyra Baker ended the drought with a 3-pointer.

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Down 14-3 after one, Franklin (2-5) was able to generate a little bit of offense in the second quarter — but the Trojans created a good bit more. Five different Center Grove players combined for eight first-half 3s, and back-to-back bombs from Cassidy Hardin and Ella Thompson gave the home team a comfortable 35-11 cushion with 56.1 seconds to go before halftime.

Hailee Robbins, who paced the Grizzly Cubs with 12 points, scored seven during a mini-flurry early in the third period to get Franklin as close as 37-21. The Trojans, though, maintained a comfortable advantage, stretching the lead to 49-27 by quarter’s end on a buzzer-beating 3 by Alainna Frankel.

“This was the best I’ve seen our girls so far make the extra pass, and I think that led to higher percentage shots,” Stuckmeyer said.

Mary Wilson paced a balanced Trojan offense with 12 points off the bench, hitting a pair of 3-pointers, while Ella Thompson hit three treys and totaled 11 points. Cassidy Hardin and Amy Davis each contributed eight for Center Grove, which got nine different players into the scoring column.

Franklin will try to get back on track Thursday against Class 3A No. 8 Beech Grove, while Center Grove hosts Lawrence Central on Friday.