By RayJaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium
Facing his high school Alma mater in Roosevelt, Franklin Head Basketball Coach Craig Jackson looked to lead the Quakers to a win Friday night. Franklin, with a record 3-4 heading into the contest, needed a big performance from junior Jamari Jackson-Kinz, and a win to maintain any hope of earning a spot in the Metro League playoffs.
Roosevelt, led by sophomore Jalen Dollar, looked to extend their win streak to three after beating both Cleveland and Lincoln by double digits.
Coming off a loss to Seattle Prep, Franklin started the game aggressive on defense with their full-court press, which caused turnovers and bad shots, and resulted in easy points for the Quakers.
Quaker freshman Marcel Jones and senior Desmond Brown, who came off the bench, both provided instant scoring, which helped them secure a 19-11 lead to end the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Franklin looked to maintain their lead but Roosevelt went on a run of their own. Dollar’s presence on offense created opportunities for teammates Noah Kuizon to hit three-pointers, and Danilo Petrovic to score inside the paint.
Speeding the Quakers up, Roosevelt forced turnovers and turned them into points, Petrovic’s complete control of the boards was impactful as it created second chance points for the Rough Riders, as they went into the half trailing by three points.
Unphased by being down, Roosevelt’s Petrovic set the tone for his team in the third quarter by crashing the boards and getting to the free throw line. Franklin’s Jackson-Kinz, who had a relatively quiet first half, responded by scoring the first 10 points to start the third quarter.
Just like their first quarter, the Quakers made everything for the Rough Riders difficult, meanwhile Brown’s presence inside for Franklin allowed them to either get second chance points or get to the free throw line.
Even with Franklin’s great play, Roosevelt managed to keep themselves in the game trailing by six points, 42-36, heading into the fourth quarter.
The Rough Riders opened the final period by scoring four straight points, which forced Coach Jackson to call a timeout in order for his team to regroup as the fourth quarter had just begun. Although Roosevelt kept battling back, Jackson-Kinz couldn’t be stopped, his shot making ability and free throws by teammates kept Franklin afloat. The game came down to the very final seconds, as the Quakers earned a hard-fought 56-54 win over Roosevelt and ended the Roughriders two game win streak. Franklin, now 4-4 overall, 3-4 in league play, will face Ballard next week on the road.
Pictorial Highlights of Franklin vs Roosevelt
