BB: Franklin Central confounds yet another in 48-41 win at Southport

SOUTHPORT – For all the years Mark James has coached Franklin Central, preparing to play the Flashes has been a nightmare for opposing coaches. 

First, they must game plan defensively for a complex, ever-moving offense that can and will attack from all five spots on the floor. Offensively, they have to limit turnovers to an absolute minimum because they know the Flashes will not give them a great number of possessions. 

Finally, they have to have a plan for the eventuality of Franklin Central having a second-half lead. That is because the Flashes will eat clock like a starving animal. 

Southport coach Wes Peak is one of the best young coaches in Indiana, and his Cardinals had the right plan for the first two challenges Jan. 8. Like so many before, however, they had no answer for the Flashes’ stingy play with a late lead. 

As a result, Franklin Central escaped Southport Fieldhouse with a 48-41 Conference Indiana victory.

Southport’s defense was excellent in the first half of the contest. Only a 30-second lapse that allowed the Flashes to run off five unanswered points midway through the second quarter kept Franklin Central (7-4 overall, 3-0 in league play) close at intermission. The Cardinals (1-7, 0-3) headed to the locker room with a 23-22 advantage. 

If the defenses had been solid in the first two quarters, they were downright suffocating in the third stanza as the two teams combined for just nine points in the first six minutes of the period. The two key plays came in the final two minutes. 

Kyle James drained a 3-pointer for Franklin Central with 1:15 to go in the quarter to give the Flashes a 30-27 advantage. Then, in the final seconds of the quarter with the Flashes leading 32-27, there was a scramble for the ball near midcourt that resulted in a jump ball. 

Why was that so important? It gave Franklin Central the possession arrow and the ball to start the fourth quarter.

The Flashes took more than two minutes off the clock with their initial possession of the final period. They also scored. Instead of being down five points with eight minutes to play, Southport found itself trailing by seven with five-and-a-half minutes to play. 

The Cardinals would never close closer than four points the rest of the way.

Franklin Central’s James Goodlow led all scorers in the game with 21 points, while James added 12 markers for the Flashes. Southport was led by the 17 points of 6’5” sophomore guard Michael Ramey.

Next up for both schools is a Jan. 12 opening-round game in the annual Marion County Tournament. Franklin Central will host Beech Grove (6-4) at 6 p.m. ET, while Southport will follow at 7:30 p.m. against 4A No. 9 Lawrence North (6-1). 

The box score:

Franklin Central 9 13 10 16 – 48

Southport 7 16 4 14 – 41

Franklin Central: Goodlow 21, James 12, Pedigo 5, Riley 4, Williams 3, Bowles 2, Stevenson 1. 3-pointers: Goodlow, Pedigo, James. Totals: 15 15-25 48

Southport: Ramey 17, Thomas 8, Young 7, Grimes 3, Skirvin 3, Blackwell 2, Gilliam 1, Habersham 0, Sullivan 0. 3-pointers: Ramey 2, Grimes, Thomas, Skirvin. Totals: 16 4-7 41