In sports the classic motto of any game is “its not how you start, it is how you finish”. The Franklin Girls basketball team could not agree more with that statement and they showed why on Tuesday night against the Taunton Tigers.

The Panthers started out slow against the Tigers only scoring nine points in the first quarter and trailing at half time 23-22. The Panthers could contribute that start to one main thing. Not making open shots and not being able to get the ball into the net.

“I think that we were really tense and anxious about the game to begin with” Senior Captain Kristi Kirshe said  “I think that affected us to the point were we could not play our game at all.”

After one half it looked like the ball would never find the net for Franklin and that their run at the Hockomock title would come to an abrupt end. But in the last 16 minutes the Panthers made a complete 180 degree turn and started to play like the team that has not lost a game in a month.

The Panthers got back on top by the end of the third with a little help from two sophomores Lexi Martin and Julianne Pisani who combined for 18 points and 7 out of the 10 Lady panthers points in the third.

In the fourth Franklin blew Taunton doors off by out scoring them 22-8 and securing a 55-38 victory. Senior Alicia Kutil, once again led the scoring for the Panthers with 16 points and 10 rebounds

“In the first half we really let their main scorers get open shots and score. Kutil said “When we came out for the second half I think the team did a great job of shutting them down and not letting them score.”

The victory improves the Panthers to 11-2 overall and 9-2 in the Hockomock league and positions them on a collision course with North Attleboro on Senior Night on February 5th that could decide the Kelly-Rex division and even the Hockomock league.

“I think we just need to keep practicing hard.” Kutil said “I think that we are really an under rated team in the state and I think that we can go far if we just keeping working at it.”

The Panthers have shown now that they can face and overcome adversity but now comes the true test as the begin the stretch run and head for home in the 2013 season.