FRANKLIN, Mass. - With leading scorer Lexi Martin out of Friday’s Division 1 Central first round game with an injury, Franklin turned to its other Hockomock League all-star Julianne Pisani to ensure that the final game in the Field House would be a win.
Pisani rose to the challenge with 22 points and four assists, including a pair of free throws that iced the game with five seconds remaining, to lead the Panthers to a 48-44 victory over a young, but athletic Wachusett team and set up a matchup with No. 1 seed Holy Name in the sectional semifinal.
“Lexi is definitely a big part of our team, so without Lexi we just try to stay the same and the bench really stepped up,” said Pisani about handling the scoring load with Martin out of the lineup. “I’m really happy that we ended the way we ended. If we had lost, I’d be heartbroken, but I’m glad that we finished really strong and kept our composure.”
Franklin coach John Leighton has seen these types of games before after leading the Panthers to back-to-back sectional finals in 2012 and 2013.
He said, “These are the games where there are a lot of defensive struggles. It’s survive and move on and play another good team. I was really impressed with our depth and defensively I thought that was a key tonight. I thought we really rebounded well the whole game and held them to one shot.
Pisani did most of her damage in the second half with 16 of her game-high 22 (11 in the fourth quarter alone) and she set the tone by talking the ball to the basket, which was something that Leighton implored the Panthers to do throughout a defensive first half.
When asked what worked for her on offense, she responded, “I think having patience and knowing when to drive because I got most of my points off drives. I just tried to have patience on offense and if it was open to just go for it. We tried not to settle for the three as much but if we drove and kicked it out for the three then that’s when we wanted to take it.”
The Panthers had a 17-15 lead at halftime thanks to a layup from sophomore Aubrie Kutil off a great feed from Pisani. The basket ended an 8-0 run by the Mountaineers, who had only made one shot from the floor in the opening quarter. Kutil would continue the strong play in the post in the second half, as she was able to get Wachusett forward Maty Diabate into foul trouble and started to control the boards.
“She’s not a sophomore anymore,” said Leighton about Kutil’s performance. “Aubrie’s improved throughout the year and we knew that they were in foul trouble in the middle so we said that we needed to get the ball in. Aubrie’s really worked on slowing down and finishing more.”
Franklin built the lead to 12 by the end of the third quarter by holding Wachusett to just 5 points in the first eight minutes after the break. Meanwhile, the Panthers were able to get the ball to the basket and finished the third on a 9-0 run with a three-pointer by Pisani, a put back by her twin sister Tracy (five points and nine rebounds), and a strong finish in traffic by Kutil.
The lead grew to as many as 13 early in the fourth on a pair of Pisani drives through the heart of the Wachusett defense. But, that was when the Mountaineers suddenly found the shooting touch.
A floater by Mikayla Singas and a corner three-pointer by Jen Windler cut the lead to six and fans in the Field House started to get a little nervous. Pisani answered back with another huge three but a rebound basket by Diabate and a three by Hannah Everidge suddenly had the lead trimmed to just four at 45-41.
After a Pisani free throw made it a five-point lead, Windler (seven points - all in the fourth) buried another huge shot from beyond the arc to make it 46-44 with fewer than 10 seconds remaining. Franklin got the ball into the hands of Pisani, who was quickly fouled and went to the line with the chance to clinch the victory.
She made them both.
“It was really nerve-wracking,” said Pisani. “Everyone was screaming but I just had to block it out and just focus on my shooting.”
Leighton was full of praise for his junior point guard. He remarked, “She’s super competitive -- from the soccer field to here to lacrosse. She’s a very good ball handler but also a quiet leader. When she sees a gap and starts driving and then everyone else starts creating. But, defensively the two twins are incredible.”
Franklin will play No. 1 Holy Name on Tuesday night at WPI. The tip is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Pisani is excited to have a win under her belt in the Central. Despite the program’s success in recent years, not many of the players on the current roster have seen a lot of tournament action and she knows that this group has the chance to make a name for themselves.
“We’re so excited and we’re ready,” said Pisani. “In past years we’ve relied on the seniors and this year it’s more about the younger kids and it’s our turn.”
Josh Perry can be contacted at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @Josh_Perry10.