Franklin County pulls away in second half for third straight 11th Region girls’ title

For nearly three quarters, points came grudgingly for Franklin County in a grind-it-out, back-and-forth girls’ 11th Region Tournament championship Saturday against Lafayette at Eastern Kentucky University’s McBrayer Arena.

But the daring of one “fearless” freshman and the determination of the Flyers’ starting seniors unlocked their offense and propelled them to a 41-29 victory to capture the school’s third straight region title.

Leia Hogan’s three-pointer from the left wing broke a 21-21 tie with 1:38 left in the third quarter and sparked a 9-0 run that essentially decided the game. It was Franklin County’s only three-point basket in 17 attempts on the night.

“It was pretty big,” said Franklin County senior point guard Nevaeh Carter, who drove into the lane and kicked out to a wide-open Hogan. It took a split second for Hogan to gather it before letting it fly. “I think if it comes down to it, I would give her the last shot if we’re down by three.”

Hogan has come on as one of the Flyers’ top three-point threats late in the season and had five three-pointers against Great Crossing in the 41st District championship game.

“She’s fearless,” Franklin County Coach Joey Thacker said. “So, you know, she just jumped up and knocked it down, and all we had to do was make one or two (to get going).”

An offensive rebound by Carter led to her assist underneath the basket to junior center Jhaven Meade on Franklin County’s next possession. Later, senior forward Patience Laster got fouled on a drive to the basket with one second left in the third and made both free throws to put the Flyers up 28-21 at the last intermission.

Another offensive rebound, this time by Laster, set up her tip-in and foul that pushed the Flyers’ edge to 30-21 just over two minutes removed from when the game was tied. Laster’s yell when the ball dropped through the net quickly got drowned out by Franklin County’s delirious fans.

“I just wanted to make the layup,” said Laster, the tournament MVP who was losing her voice in postgame interviews because of her celebrations during and after the game. “I was really hyped when I made it, and I had to get my team up.”

Laster had a team-high 11 points and 11 rebounds. Meade scored nine points with 10 boards. Carter added seven points, nine rebounds and five assists. Hogan finished with seven points. As a team, Franklin County outrebounded Lafayette 42-36, a point of emphasis for the Flyers against the lanky Generals.

“Coach was saying, ‘No rebound, no Rupp,’’’ Laster said. “So, pretty much we had to go rebound and go at them. And that’s what we did.”

Thacker noted that Lafayette’s Anaya Brown and Olivia Cathers combined for 17 offensive rebounds in their semifinals game against Henry Clay.

Against Franklin County, Cathers led Lafayette with 13 points and eight rebounds while Brown, the region player of the year, was held to just nine points and eight boards. Brown drew double-teams much of the night, or had to try to get her offense against Laster, whose greater strength and size caused problems. Thacker called Laster’s performance “the best defense she’s played.”

Franklin County’s burst of offense in the second half increased the Generals’ sense of urgency, but they couldn’t answer. Lafayette went without a made field goal in the final quarter on 14 shots.

“Our shots weren’t falling. Our percentages were awful,” Lafayette Coach Allison Denton said. “I knew if they had that lead, that it would be difficult to come back from because of the experience they have.”

This was the second straight appearance in the 11th Region finals for Lafayette (26-7), the 43rd District champions. A year ago, Lafayette fell behind 13-0 on their way to a 53-38 loss. This year, the Generals stood toe-to-toe with the Flyers early and led 15-14 at half and 21-16 early in the third quarter.

“They should be proud of what they’ve done for our school and our school community,” Denton said of her team, which helped her cross the 400-win milestone earlier this postseason. “They wanted it. You know, we had some breaks, and then they had some quick breaks that really took the lead.”

This marks the seventh time Franklin County (27-7) has won the region title and the sixth under Thacker. The Flyers have earned state tournament bids six out of the last eight years and reached the state finals twice in that span. Last year’s team reached the state quarterfinals.

The Flyers will face 2nd Region champion Henderson County at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Mingua Beef Jerky Girls’ Sweet 16 state basketball tournament in Rupp Arena.

“I hope we come out and play hard like we did today,” Carter said. “And move onto the next round.”

11th Region All-Tournament Team

Mati Stepp, Berea; Timothi Williams, Great Crossing; Katherine Truitt, Lexington Catholic; Tania Woodall, Bryan Station; Kennedy Williams and Allison Stone, Henry Clay; Savannah Simpson, Olivia Cathers and Anaya Brown, Lafayette; and Jazmin Chambers, Nevaeh Carter and Jhaven Meade, Franklin County. Most valuable player: Patience Laster, Franklin County.

This story was originally published March 6, 2022 at 10:46 AM.

Jared Peck

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-488-2883

Jared Peck, the Herald-Leader’s Digital Sports Writer, covers high school athletics and has been with the company as a writer and editor for more than 20 years. Support my work with a digital subscription