By RayJaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium
The Franklin Lady Quakers basketball season has been a rollercoaster due to COVID. Having played only seven games so far, and with the season headed towards the playoffs relatively soon, a win against one of the top teams in the league would be critical if Franklin wants to play late into February and early March.
Looking to bounce back from their 56-47 loss to Ballard on Wednesday, the Lady Quakers faced one tough opponent in Eastside Catholic, who, at 9-3 overall this season, currently sit right under Garfield in the Metro League standings.
Despite their limited number of games played, Franklin Head Coach Tavar Proctor’s mindset is simply, “playing better basketball for four quarters.”
Coming off of a 52-point win over Rainier Beach, Eastside Catholic with their excellent guard play from junior Isabel Sullivan and sophomore Linda Nduka would look to continue their dominance against Franklin. Sullivan, who can shoot from just about anywhere on the floor, and Nduka, who’s quick and scores well in transition, are the catalysts for the Crusaders offensive presence.
Not backing down from a challenge, Franklin’s defense rose to the occasion from the opening tip, causing Eastside Catholic to be out of sync, forcing turnovers and not allowing them to simply score at will. The Lady Quakers’ defense led to instant offense, as they got uncontested layups and made wide open three-pointers in transition.
With leadership from senior Mya Jones and her ability to find open teammates, the Lady Quakers held a 26-17 lead at halftime. Having the lead and full momentum, Franklin carried that into the second half and opened up a double-digit advantage early in the third quarter.
Although they were down, Eastside Catholic battled back in the last three minutes of the third quarter giving Franklin a taste of their own medicine defensively by forcing bad shots and turning them into points at the other end. What was a double-digit deficit was now a two-point lead for the Lady Quakers heading into the fourth quarter.
Eastside Catholic Sophomore D’Izzabella Titialii’s coast-to-coast layup combined with a Franklin foul to start the final quarter gave the Crusaders the lead and from that moment their momentum took over the game. Nduka and Sullivan would lead the Eastside Catholic charge, with Sullivan making three-pointers and Nduka pushing the pace and finding open teammates to score.
Eastside Catholic went on a 12-0 run, as Franklin would fail to make free throws, which allowed the Crusaders to completely control of the fourth quarter. Battling back, the Lady Quakers would trade baskets with Eastside Catholic but were ultimately unable to get stops as time began to dwindle in the game. A late layup by the Crusaders would be the final dagger as they would post a 56-43 win over the Quakers.
With the win, Eastside Catholic improved to 10-3. Franklin, now 4-4, will face Ingraham next week on the road looking to keep their playoff hopes alive. Coach Proctor stated moving forward he and his team, “will execute for 32 minutes and qualify for metro playoffs.”
Pictorial Highlights of Eastside Catholic vs Franklin Girls
