Fast start lifts Franklin by Newton South
In a game of runs, No. 15 Franklin (17-4) prevailed 62-50 over No. 18 Newton South (11-10) in the Division 1 state tournament opener for both girls basketball squads.
Lizzy Newman led the way with 19 points and 11 rebounds for the doubledouble as the Panthers had four of their five starters in double digits in a balanced effort.
Newman had 12 of her points come in the pivotal third quarter as Katie Peterson (15), Bridget Leo (12), and Chloe Fales (10) all contributed to hold off the Lions.
“It really opened up (in the third) and that’s the nice thing when you have multiple tall kids and you can move around. It opened up for everyone to do a little more,” said Franklin head coach John Leighton.
Speaking of opening up, Franklin came out roaring with an 11-0 run to start the first quarter and then had an 8-0 run to start the second quarter. But some tough shooting in the first half allowed Newton South to hang around.
Maddy Genser, who is headed to Colby next season as a two-sport athlete, finished her outstanding high school career with 19 points for the Lions. Genser, who is a 1,000-point scorer and Dual County League MVP, led Newton South with tough play on both ends, added six rebounds along with five assists, and kept things close at the halftime break, 24-23, despite the hot start from Franklin.
“Maddy had an insistence on doing it her way. This was a kid that was told she had to specialize in one of the two sports she is playing. Her decision to say, ‘No, I’m going to do it my way’ has been really important to our success,” said Newton South head coach Joe Rodgers. “They executed better than we did in more situations and we did not shoot well from the free throw line so they deserve credit, they did what they needed to do to win the game.”
Peterson led the first-half effort for the Panthers with 11 points to keep Franklin out in front of the pack but Newman and senior captain Bridget Leo came alive after the break.
Senior Tatum Murray (18 points) hit a three-pointer to get the Lions back within one, but after Leo scored on a runner in the paint, the senior captain found Newman inside on the next possession for the traditional ‘and-one’ three-point play as Franklin extended the lead, 35-29, with 4:27 left in the third.
In the fourth, Fales took an offensive charge on Murray to swing the energy back to Franklin again. Leo snapped a three-pointer on the other end to give the Panthers the double-digit lead back, 52-42, midway through the final stanza and for the first time since the opening 11-0 run in a game the Panthers never trailed.
Despite shaky shooting from the charity stripe for both teams throughout, Franklin hit 8-of-9 from the free throw line down the stretch to keep Newton South from getting back into the game.
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Division champions in the Hockomock League made the Round of 8 last season, but will have to face No.2 Bishop Feehan, 7229 winners over Plymouth North, in the Round of 16 for Franklin to try and get back.
“The hoop seems a little smaller sometimes in the playoffs. Give (Newton South) credit, but I thought the foul shooting at the end was the key,” said Leighton. “They tried to change the tempo of the game but we made enough shots in the end to win the game. Lizzie played a great game … I knew what she could give me and did a wonderful job in the second half.”