HOLDEN, Mass. - They say defense wins championships. If that's the case, Franklin is off to a great start with their 56-38 win over #4 Wachusett in the D1 Central quarterfinals.
The Panthers held Wachusett to 12 points or less in every quarter while they jumped out to a big lead early, expanded it in the middle quarters and advanced to the D1Central semi-finals.
Facing a zone defense, Franklin's hot shooting early tormented Wachusett as the Panthers jumped out to an 11-2 lead and then finishing the rest of the quarter with a 10-6 run to go up 21-8 after the first quarter.
"My assistants were saying yesterday in practice how its been a while since we got out to a good lead early," said Franklin head coach Dean O'Connor. "We came out and shot the ball well early. We knew they'd be in a zone and its important to hit some early so they start coming out on you so you can start getting the ball inside. Getting off to a good start was huge, especially on the road."
Wachusett cut the led to six twice early in the second quarter but Franklin was able to get their offense in gear - and continue their very strong defense - and rattled off a 10-0 run that turned their six point lead into a 33-17 lead and an eventual 35-20 lead at halftime.
"We knew they were good defensively," said Wachusett head coach Tom Gibbons. "We were not getting any rhythm to say the least. We really struggled in all areas but you have to give them credit. They really get after it defensively and they have nice pieces. They beat us to every loose ball, they beat us on the glass. They're a dangerous team, they could go far."
Chris Rodgers finished with a game-high 16 points but was aided by Marcus Giese, Tim Prunier and Quenten Harrell - each netting 10 points. Harrell, who is one of the premier defenders in the league, shined defensively and also picked up eight assists.
"[Quenten's] more of a defender but he's had a couple games when he's scored 18 points," O'Connor said. "He's a big game type of kid and he played good."
The third quarter was another bright spot for Franklin, who limited Wachusett to just six points while doubling up on them with 12. Wachusett shot 3/12 from the floor with no offensive rebounds and four turnovers in the period. Wachusett never seemed comfortable in their offense.
"To me, that's what you're trying to do on defense," O'Connor said. "Don't let guys get comfortable with the ball. On most teams, not all five guys can handle the ball or even make a pass pressure, including us, so you try to take advantage of that. That's the whole philosophy defensively."
Franklin now advances to take on Worcester South, the nine seed, who upset #1 Fitchburg on Thursday night. South has played one Hockomock team this season, downing Milford 61-50 on January 6th. The teams will tip off from WPI at 6:30 on Sunday.
Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.