The Franklin Girls basketball team had come off a heart breaking defeat to North Attleboro dropping them to 5-2 on the season, so the only thing that they could do after that loss was take their anger out on their next opponent the Mansfield Hornets,  last Friday night that is what they did.

The Lady Panthers started out fast, coming out of the gates with a 10-3 run. But the early lead  was quickly made up by Mansfield and their use of the three ball. By the end of the first quarter it was 11-9 Panthers but that was the only run that the Panthers would have to fight off because the rest of the game was pure domination.

The Panthers outscored Mansfield 58- 22 the rest of the way and held Mansfield to single digits in each of the four quarters and forced them into double digit turnovers on the night. The final score was a thirty point plus thumping of the hornets 69-31 which should prove a point to the Hockomock League that the Panthers are here to stay.

“We’ve been up and down in the last few games” Coach Leighton said ” I think it was good for our team to put in consistent quarters and keep the tempo up all game long like we did.”

A pair of seniors led the way for the Panthers with Alicia Kutil raking up a monstrous twenty points and Sarah Shaw putting up fourteen.

“For me personally I just kept taking it to the hoop” Kutil said “I think as a team we did a great job moving the ball and it was a game where we all put it together.”

The Panthers now face one of their toughest stretches of the year with three of the next four games away from Woodrow .L. Abbot Field House.

“Its going to be tough on the road” Coach Leighton said “But sometimes a road trip is good, I mean we bond on road trips and that could bring us closer as a team”

The Lady Panthers showed that they are serious contenders and they will be there right until the end to defend their hock title.