It was a sign of things to come when Franklin Central's Javon Small created a steal on Perry Meridian's first possession of the 2020 Marion County Tournament. In fact, Perry Meridian turned it over on its first two possessions. For the game, Franklin Central stole the ball from Perry Meridian 10 times and created 17 turnovers overall. (Pictured: Jalen Hooks)

The Franklin Central defense dominated the game. At the 2:13 mark of the first quarter, Reggie McDonald knocked down two free throws to get the Falcons on the scoreboard. The first Perry Meridian field goal didn't go down under a minute and half into the second quarter when Jayden Taylor scored in the lane.

The Flashes didn't exactly light up the scoreboard early on either. Franklin Central had a four-minute scoring drought in the first quarter. Freshman Jalen Hooks had a dunk and a couple of free throws to help Franklin Central build a 13-4 lead after one.

In the second quarter, Sam Mettert became the offense for FC. The junior forward hit a shot in the first period then went 4-4 from the field in the second. He scored all eight Franklin Central points in the quarter.

With Perry Meridian down 12 at halftime, Butler commitment Jayden Taylor took over for the Falcons. After scoring five points in the first half, he scored eight in the first four minutes of the second half. Unfortunately for PM, Franklin Central's offense picked up as well. FC's lead was down to eight points a few minutes into the third, but it ballooned to 21 by the end of the quarter.

Small scored nine points in the third quarter including a three-pointer before the buzzer. He was able to use his great speed and athleticism to score in transition. He had two powerful dunks in the second half on his way to 13 points.

Franklin Central moved to 9-2 with the 52-25 victory.

Sam Mettert led FC with 14 points as he went 7-7 from the field. Hooks added eight points and seven rebounds. Benny Ogayonne did a bit of everything with two points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

Taylor led PM with 13 points, four rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Reggie McDonald added seven points and six rebounds.

FC plays Ben Davis on Wednesday in the second round of the Marion County Tournament.