Dawgs lose to Natchez, beat LC prior to break

Franklin County’s varsity basketball team saw its season mark settle at 10-2 overall after the squad dropped a 44-43 heartbreaker to Natchez on Friday, Dec. 16, but upended visiting Lawrence County, 59-45, on Tuesday, Dec. 13.

NATCHEZ 44, FC 43

Natchez jumped out to an 11-6 lead over Franklin County in the first quarter of the Friday, Dec. 16 hoops match-up played in Meadville with the home team picking up the pace and battling to a 15-all run in the second quarter.

Trailing 26-21 after the half, FC continued its offensive spark by outscoring the visiting Bulldogs by margins of 13-10 in the third quarter and 9-8 in the fourth frame, but the comeback proved to ultimately fall short in a 44-43 final decision loss to Natchez.

Derrick Wilson paced Franklin County’s offense with a team-high nine points as Kentrez Bonds and Daylen Thomas both added eight points apiece.

Wilson was 1-of-2 from the free throw line and Bonds was 3-of-4.

Michael Covington scored seven points with two field goals and a three-pointer.

In addition, Kepatrick Nimox and Jailan Hunt added four points apiece, Jazavier Malone tacked on two and Quez Rancifer, who went 1-of-4 from the charity stripe, scored one.

FC 59, LAWRENCE COUNTY 45

Franklin County outpaced the visiting Cougars in three of the game’s four quarters on Tuesday, Dec. 13 en route to a 59-45 Bulldogs’ win.

The Dawgs’ offense thumped Lawrence County by margins of 13-11 in the first and dual 17-10 runs in the second and third quarters.

The Cougars won the fourth frame with a 14-12 burst in the final eight minutes of the contest.

Two Franklin County players scored in double figures with Thomas having a game-high 21 points and Covington ending with 15.

Thomas had five two-pointers in the first half and a similar number of field goals after intermission along with a 1-of-2 effort from the free throw line.

Covington drained a pair of treys, hit three two-pointers and was 3-of-4 at the stripe.

Bonds and Hunt were credited with six point apiece with Bonds going 2-of-2 from the line. Nimox, Rancifer and Jamie Green scored two each with both of Green’s points coming from free throws.

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JUNIOR VARSITY

LAWRENCE COUNTY 25,

FC 19

In a neck-and-neck contest on Tuesday, Dec. 13, Franklin County and Lawrence County battled to an 11-all first-half tie before the visiting Cougars went on an 11-8 run after the mid-game break to go on to a 25-19 win over the home squad.

Derrick Wilson led FC with six points as Johnathan Shell and Tyson Windom finished with five apiece.

Dennis Shell added two for the Bulldogs and Casey Cook ended up with one point.

FC 31, LOYD STAR 29

Loyd Star took an 18-13 first-half lead over Franklin County, but the Bulldogs rolled to an 18-11 offensive spurt after intermission and wound up winning by two points, 31-29, over the visiting Hornets.

Derrick Wilson scored eight points to lead FC as Johnathan Shell and Jailan Hunt contributed six apiece, and Rylei Edney and Eddie O’Quinn added three each.

Eric Dyer and Quentin Logan tacked on two each.

FC 21, MORTON 18

Franklin County overran Morton, 15-11, in the first half of its showdown on the road Tuesday, Dec. 6 with the Bulldogs coming up on the short end of a 7-6 second-half scoring run.

In the end, FC claimed a 21-18 win in the contest.

Windom led the Bulldogs with seven points and Johnathan Shell wound up with five.

Jailan Hunt and Derrick Wilson scored three each as Derrick Starks had two and Detrick Starks finished with one.

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UPCOMING GAMES

The boys’ varsity basketball team is set to return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 3 and will play in their district opener on the road against Port Gibson’s Blue Waves.

FC is then scheduled to play three straight district games at home over a seven-day stretch.

The series will start with Wilkinson County on Friday, Jan. 6 before a contest against Wesson on Tuesday, Jan. 10 and a showdown against Hazlehurst on Friday, Jan. 13.