For the Daily Journal
Jennings County overcame a scoreless second quarter and a 13-point second-half deficit to come back and defeat host Franklin 40-34 in girls basketball action Thursday.
After that scoreless second quarter, the Panthers nearly pitched a third-quarter shutout themselves, going on a 13-3 run and then outscoring the Grizzly Cubs the rest of the way.
What was remarkable for Jennings County (8-14) was this was its fourth game in four days, and the Panthers went 3-1 during that stretch, closing with three consecutive wins.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
If the Panthers were tired, they showed it only for a half.
“They can play, and the showed they can fight back,” said Jennings County coach Kristi Sigler, who also said this was the first time any of her teams were held scoreless in a quarter and came back to win.
Franklin coach Josh Sabol was perplexed. The Grizzly Cubs (8-14) looked to have this game won as they were playing well, but they looked like they were the ones fatigued at the end.
“How do you hold someone scoreless in a quarter and lose?” Sabol said. “We had some girls out of the lineup, but that’s no excuse as someone has to step up.
“No one did.”
When Jennings County’s offense sputtered in the second quarter, Franklin was right there to capitalize, going on a 13-0 run in the frame.
Free-throw shooting proved critical, with Franklin making all eight free throws in the first half and their first nine overall, but then the Cubs started missing, especially when the Panthers started scoring.
And like a flip of the switch, Jennings County found its rhythm in the second half and cut into the deficit.
In that second half, the Panthers outrebounded the Cubs 16-6 and outscored them 29-10.
Jennings County was led by junior Callie Wilder with 16 points. Wilder fouled out with 1:55 to go, but the Cubs could not take advantage.
A three-point play by Madi Skinner with 48.2 seconds left sealed the win.
Franklin (8-14) was led by sophomore Peyton Wilson’s 10 points.
It was the Cubs’ third straight loss and seventh in eight games, not the kind of momentum they wanted heading into next Friday’s sectional semifinal against either Center Grove or Whiteland.
