Had you told Franklin girls basketball coach Josh Sabol before Tuesday night’s game that his team would force 15 turnovers and hold Columbus North to 31 points, he’d have liked their chances.
But a subpar night offensively got in the way as the host Grizzly Cubs dropped a 31-24 slugfest to the always-challenging Bull Dogs.
"We defended and rebounded at a high level against one of the top programs in the state tonight," Franklin coach Josh Sabol said. "You’re going to have nights like that where you’re not shooting it well. But you’ve still got to find a way to score more than (24) points."
A long jumper from Kyra Baker got Franklin (10-9) within a basket one last time at 26-24 with 3:05 left in the game, but Columbus North’s Annie Anderson converted a layup at the 1:50 mark to make it a two-possession game again. Three late free throws from Tessa Lomax, who had struggled from the line earlier in the season, helped the Bull Dogs put it away.
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The Grizzly Cubs had gotten out to an early 7-6 lead before enduring a stretch of 8:05 without a field goal. Columbus North (15-4) had its own offensive struggles but was still able to take advantage of the Franklin drought by getting inside and drawing fouls.
Alexa McKinley, who led the visitors with nine points, accounted for 10 of North’s 18 attempts from the free throw line on a night when Franklin was just 1 for 2.
Sabol felt that his team could have done more to create opportunities at the basket on a night when outside shots weren’t falling (Franklin hit just one 3-pointer).
"What that tells me is that we are not attacking the basket strong; we’re not going up strong," he said. "We’re avoiding contact, we’re not seeking contact — and that’s probably what we’re going to see on the film."
The Bull Dogs (15-4) scored nine straight points to pull ahead, 15-8, before Franklin got a fast-break bucket from Kuryn Brunson just before the first-half buzzer to make it an 18-12 game.
Franklin’s shooting woes were compounded by 18 turnovers, but the Bull Dogs had 15 giveaways of their own as both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm.
The Grizzly Cubs were within two, 20-18, midway through the third period after Hailee Robbins and Brunson combined for six straight points, but miscues kept them from sustaining momentum for long enough to get over the hump.
Robbins led all scorers with 13 points for the Grizzly Cubs.
Sabol is hopeful that his team will come out a little more aggressively in a critical Mid-State Conference clash with Whiteland on Saturday afternoon.
"I don’t necessarily think it’s scheme as much as it is mentality," he said of Franklin’s offensive struggles. "So that’s what we have to fix before Saturday."
