Caught in an avalanche during the second quarter on Tuesday night, Franklin women's basketball nearly dug itself all the way out.
The Grizzlies (1-1) used a shift in defensive intensity to stage a second-half rally, completely erasing a 16-point deficit, before running out of gas in a 67-62 loss at Capital.
"We saw a lot of heart and grit tonight from the team," Griz coach
Ashley Blanch said. "I am super proud of them for that fight and we will be working to put it together for 40 minutes the rest of the season."
The host Comets, leaning on a 30-point, 14-rebound effort from Samaree Perkins, scored 35 points in the second period alone, opening with a 12-2 run and growing its advantage to 44-28 with 2:40 remaining in the half.
Franklin, though, adjusted at the intermission and held Capital scoreless for the first seven-plus minutes of the third, using a 14-0 run to wipe out a 49-35 halftime deficit and tie the game on a
Kate Breeden tip-in with 3:37 on the clock. An
Erica Buening layup at the 1:04 mark put the Grizzlies up 54-53, their first advantage since late in the first, and the visitors went into the final 10 minutes down by just one point.
Down by five early in the fourth, Franklin drew even again at 59-59 on a three-point play by
Jordan Coon with 6:06 left. But Capital scored the next six points to regain the lead for good, holding the Grizzlies without another point until another and-one by Coon with 2:24 to go made it 65-62.
Molly Schulte scored 13 points to lead a balanced Griz attack, followed by Breeden with 11 points, six rebounds and four steals. Buening finished with 10 points, Coon nine and
Avery Kelley seven.
Payton Seay grabbed a team-high seven boards and
Briley Munchel had five of the Grizzlies' 18 steals, part of an effort that forced 28 Comet turnovers. Cold shooting (22 of 67, 32.8%) and a 47-33 rebounding deficit — as well as 23 Capital free throws in 28 attempts — helped conspire to keep Franklin from the comeback win.
Perkins alone was 16 of 18 from the stripe.
"We sent Capital to the line too many times," Blanch said. "That did not just hurt us with their free points but also placed a couple of leaders on the bench for a large portion of the second quarter."
Franklin will return to Ohio this weekend for a pair of games at the Denison Classic, playing Marietta on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 15) and the host Big Red on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 16).
