By RayJaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium
Last Friday, the Franklin Lady Quakers played host to the Lincoln Lady Lynx on senior night. The Quakers came into the contest riding a four-game win streak where they held their opponents to just 23 points per game. Before their win against Chief Sealth earlier in the week, Lincoln suffered a 70-37 loss to Edmonds-Woodway and looked to move up in conference standings if they could secure their second consecutive win on the road.
Offensively, both teams got off to a slow start offensively as neither team was able to find their rhythm.
However, the Lady Quakers’ offensive rebounding gave them continuous opportunities for second-chance points, and their ability to get steals on defense helped them control the game. Even with great intangibles, their free throw shooting hindered their offensive productivity, as Franklin held a six-point lead at the end of the first quarter, despite have a great deal of success.
Franklin Head Coach Tavar Proctor said the game plan coming into the game “was to fluster them, and score early.”
Understanding the game plan, Franklin executed and dominated the second quarter by scoring off of turnovers, and successfully running their half-court sets. Their defensive pressure made it hard for Lincoln to find any rhythm offensively, as they made it very difficult for the Lynx to get past half court without turning over the ball or taking a difficult shot.
Franklin guard Charko Tucker helped light a fire under her teammates as she led a defensive surge that saw the Lady Quakers score 24 points in the quarter and take a 33-12 half time lead.
“[Charko] led us on the defensive end by setting the tone of how we would play by diving on the floor trying to win 50/50 plays,” said Proctor. “Once we get one player to do that it becomes contagious and a habit for everybody.”
Heading into the second half, Lincoln did not let the deficit phase them, as they rallied to get back into the game. The Lynx defense completely took over the second half by forcing turnovers, jump balls and not allowing Franklin to score at will. In addition to their defense, the Lynx found their groove on offense, scoring in transition, and hitting mid-range and three-point shots, and more importantly making their free throws — which is credited to Lyla Laprade, Devon Nobil, Sydney Blau, Elsie McFarland, and Natalie Kelly.
As a result of playing so dominantly on defense and capitalizing on offense, Lincoln allowed the Lady Quakers to score only 11 second half points, while scoring 45 points in the final two quarters. Shifting momentum in their direction stunned Franklin’s team and fans, helped the Lynx overcome a 21-point halftime deficit, and secure a 13-point win to spoil Franklin’s senior night.
With the win, Lincoln has won back-to-back road games and improved their record to 8-1 in the Metro League. The Lynx will now face Nathan Hale as they look to extend their winning streak. For Franklin, their four-game win streak comes to an end as they dropped to 7-2 in league play. The Quakers will have a chance to regroup when they face Ingraham this week.
While it was a disappointing loss for Franklin, Coach Proctor says that his team must learn from their mistakes and move onto the next game.
Pictorial Highlights of Franklin Girls vs Lincoln
Photos by Aaron Allen
