HANOVER, Ind. – The Franklin women's basketball team hit the road for the final time in the regular season on Saturday (Feb. 15) afternoon, locking up with the Hanover Panthers.
Junior
Jordan Coon became the 16
th player in program history to record 1,000 points for her career and was one of four players to hit double figures on the afternoon. A back-and-forth battle all afternoon, this one came down to the final minute but Franklin (14-10, 8-9 HCAC) would come up just short as the Panthers (18-6, 12-5 HCAC) held on for an 83-81 win.
How it Happened
The first quarter saw both offenses clicking from the jump, with each team shooting better than 50% from the field and Franklin knocking down 61.1% (11-for-18) of their field goals. Despite their hot shooting, the Grizzlies headed into the second quarter facing a 27-24 deficit. An
Erica Buening layup with 4:33 to go in the first half gave the Grizzlies their largest lead to date at 36-32, but Franklin managed just one bucket for the rest of the half and trailed 40-38 at the break.
Neither team claimed a lead larger than one possession until late in the third quarter, when a 9-1 Franklin run to close the period spotted the Grizzlies a 63-58 lead with 10 minutes to play. Franklin's lead stretched to a game-high 13 points early in the fourth quarter, but Hanover charged back into the game and took an 83-81 lead with 1:03 to play. Despite the bevy of time left, Franklin would only get one more possession before the final horn sounded.
Inside the Box Score
-Coon became the latest edition to the 1,000 point club with 17 points on the afternoon, becoming the first Grizzly since Bayleigh Walker in 2020 to hit the milestone.
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Taylor Cooney led the Grizzlies with 21 points and had a team-high four steals.
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Erica Buening added 14 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
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Maddie Barnes chipped in with 10 points, knocking down a pair of threes.
-Franklin shot 50% (33-for-66) from the field, going 6-for-14 from three and 9-for-9 at the line.
-Rebounds were a slim 36-35 edge for the Panthers.
-Turnovers played a critical role in the outcomes, with Hanover holding a 16-10 advantage but cashing in for 25 points off mistakes to six for Franklin.
Up Next
The Grizzlies bring the regular season to a close on Wednesday (Feb. 19) night, hosting the Manchester Spartans. Tip-off from the Spurlock Center is set for 7:00 p.m.
