WORCESTER – Head coach CJ Neely says it’s a complete new staff with a completely completely different vibe, however the Franklin boys basketball program is only one win away from redemption.
A yr faraway from a crushing loss to Worcester North within the Div. 1 state last, the top-seeded Panthers (25-1) are headed again to Tsongas Heart after operating away from No. 4 Central Catholic within the fourth quarter for a 52-44 win in a Div. 1 state semifinal Monday evening at Worcester State.
The Raiders (20-3) packed a heavy punch out of halftime with an 8-0 run and ended the third quarter dead-even with Franklin, however Caden Sullivan (9 rebounds, two steals) scored 15 of his game-high 20 factors during the last 10 minutes, and protection locked in to permit simply 11 factors in that span to drag out the win.
Franklin, on the lookout for its first state title, will play the winner of Tuesday’s semifinal between No. 3 Newton North and No. 7 Springfield Central within the last.
“All of us find it irresistible,” Sullivan mentioned. “We’re right here for revenge, and we’re going to get it performed it doesn’t matter what it takes. … It’s been us 14 all yr, it’ll be us 14 that final recreation, all 32 minutes. And we’re simply going to remain collectively.”
A lot of the primary three quarters proved a back-and-forth, even with Franklin permitting simply 4 factors within the second quarter to enter the break with a 26-20 lead.
Joe Conlan (11 factors, 6 rebounds) gave the Panthers a spark early with 5 first-quarter factors, just for Elias Ynoa (14 factors) and Javi Lopez (15 factors, six rebounds) to guide a 16-13 body for Central Catholic. After Jake Olmstead (seven factors) anchored Franklin with a five-point burst to guide on the half, Ynoa began the third quarter with a pair of 3-pointers to even issues up once more.
Lopez reduce to the rim for a layup and the lead, and Elkin Pena’s 3-pointer put the Raiders forward after a Franklin response, 31-28.
Franklin referred to as timeout after the 8-0 run, and that’s when Sullivan took over.
Twice he completed contested layups robust, and a free throw helped Franklin enter the fourth quarter tied at 36-36. He began the ultimate body with two extra conversions within the paint, assisted on Justice Samuels’ (10 factors, three steals, two blocks) layup, and the Panthers jumped forward 44-37 with an 8-2 run.
“He’s the person,” Neely mentioned. “He’s a fearless competitor. It looks like each postgame, I’m speaking about how fearless he’s, how laborious he performs, how a lot he needs the ball, and he’s not afraid of any scenario. And actually, it trickles right down to the remainder of the fellows.”
“Personally, I checked out Neely and I’m like, ‘We’ve received to remain composed, and we all know we will do that,’” Sullivan added. “We’ve been in deep, laborious conditions like that earlier than, and we knew we have been going to come back out laborious. We simply needed to keep collectively, keep composed, and battle by means of it.”
The identical smothering protection that restricted Central Catholic to only 4 factors within the second quarter confirmed up once more to construct a lead as massive as 50-41 with 34 seconds left.
“It’s simply unbelievable getting all 5 guys locked in on the defensive finish,” Sullivan mentioned. “Rotations, stress, and we speak about having protection as our weapon. And at present, it was.”
“Protection and rebounding, that’s what it’s been all yr,” Neely added. “Our staff has been constructed, made and trusted on protection – begin to end. … I informed the fellows, ‘If you wish to do one thing particular, you’ve received to do all of the soiled work.’”
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