With an outside chance at a share of the Mid-State Conference title on the line, Plainfield and Franklin did battle Friday night. Using a fantastic third quarter from junior forward Drew Byerly, the Grizzly Cubs never trailed in the second half on their way to victory.

 

 

Plainfield started out hot from behind the arc, with Jakob Gibbs getting the Quakers on the scoreboard with a three, followed by sophomore guard Aidan Booher, who would hit a pair of three-pointers in the opening stanza. But Franklin’s senior pair of Reece Thomson and Ball State football signee Cory Richards would each hit threes for the home side as the two scored 11 of Franklin’s 15 first quarter points.

 

 

The visitors jumped out to a six-point lead to begin the second period, but sloppy turnovers would be followed by a pair of three-pointers from Thomson and Blaine Wentzell for Franklin to knot the score at 21. The Grizzly Cubs would keep that momentum all the way into halftime, ending the period on a 15-6 run.

 

 

Franklin would show no signs coming out of the locker room as junior forward Drew Byerly took the game over in the third period. Byerly scored 14 of his team’s 18 points in the third on a variety of post-ups and drives from the elbows. His team would open a 14 point lead, at 48-34, before Plainfield would stop the bleeding behind a pair of threes from Mason Naaman late in the period.

 

 

Plainfield would claw all the way back to within three at 52-49 following threes from Naaman, Booher, and Jakob Gibbs to open the fourth. But Franklin was able to solve the Plainfield backcourt pressure, throwing the ball over the top on multiple occasions to teammates all alone behind the defense. The Quakers were able to generate enough offense in the fourth, scoring 26 points, but could not get the defensive stops needed to climb all the way back.

 

 

Drew Byerly and Reece Thomson combined for 29 points in the second half and 42 in the game as Franklin was able to keep Plainfield at bay and pick up the win. Jakob Gibbs led Plainfield with 25 points, while Mason Naaman came off the bench with 12 points.

 

 

Plainfield   17  10  13  26  -  66

Franklin     15  15  18  24  -  72

 

Plainfield: Jakob Gibbs 25 points (10/21 FGs, 2/6 3Ps, 3/4 FTs) 5 rebs, 3 stls; Aidan Booher 12 points (4/11 FGs, 3/9 3Ps, 1/2 FTs); Mason Naaman 12 points; Cade Gibbs 10 points (5/9 FGs), 4 rebs; Ian Scott 7 points

 

Franklin: Reece Thomson 22 points (8/18 FGs, 2/7 3Ps, 4/4 FTs), 5 rebs; Drew Byerly 20 points (9/11 FGs, 2/4 FTs), 4 rebs, 4 asts; Blaine Wentzell 12 points (4/5 FGs, 2/3 3Ps, 2/2 FTs), 5 rebs; Cory Richards 12 points (5/10 FGs, 1/3 3Ps, 1/4 FTs); Cody Mahler 3 points; Luke Miles 3 points