FC boys' hoops win over Tigers; drop two games

by Sean Dunlap

Franklin County’s varsity boys basketball team dropped two of three decisions last week by falling to district rival Port Gibson and non-regional foe Bay Springs, but pulled in a slim, but key district win over Jefferson County.

The Bulldogs presently stand at 4-2 in Mississippi High School Activities Class 3A District 7 action while sporting a 15-6 mark since the start of their 2022-2023 campaign.

PORT GIBSON 50, FC 49

A see-saw 7-3A regional match-up between Franklin County and Port Gibson on Friday, Jan. 20 in Meadville saw the visiting Blue Waves sink a field goal at the final buzzer to upend the Bulldogs by a one-point margin, 50-49.

This marked the second time this season that the Blue Waves have beaten Franklin County – with the previous 51-39 decision coming Tuesday, Jan. 3 in Claiborne County.
In last Friday’s game, the Blue Waves overran FC, 16-11, in the first quarter with the Bulldogs battling back for a 14-8 run through the second stanza to hold a slim, 25-24 advantage at the mid-game break.

Franklin County outscored Port Gibson, 13-12, in the third frame with the Blue Waves overwashing the Bulldogs, 14-11, in the fourth quarter.

Michael Covington paced the Bulldogs’ effort with 17 points, which included a three-pointer, two field goals and 10 free throws. Derrick Wilson and Daylen Thomas wound up with eight apiece with the former draining a pair of treys and a field goal while the latter accounted for four field goals.

Jamie Green, Jailan Hunt and Quez Rancifer all scored four points apiece while KePatrick Nimox and Kentrez Bonds contributed two points each.

As a team, FC was 14-of-26 (53.8 percent) in its free throw shooting with Covington going 10-of-13 (76.9 percent) and Rancifer hitting 2-of-4 (50 percent). Bonds finished his effort 2-of-6 (33.3 percent) from the line. Nimox was 0-for-2 and Thomas went 0-for-1 against Port Gibson from the stripe.

FC 50, JEFFERSON COUNTY 49

In another game decided by the slimmest of margins, Franklin County used a late rally to claim a 50-49 win over the Tigers in a contest played in Jefferson County on Tuesday, Jan. 17.

The Bulldogs held a 13-11 lead at the end of the first quarter with the Tigers rallying for a 12-11 pace through the second frame.

Leading 24-23 at the half, FC came up on the short end of a 14-11 run by Jefferson County in the third stanza, but the Dawgs went on a 15-11 tear in the fourth quarter to claim the victory.

Two FC players finished the night in double figures — with Covington collecting a team-high 20 points and Wilson contributing 12 in the winning effort.

Covington successfully connected with the rim five times from beyond the arch in the game. Wilson also sank a pair of three-pointers.

Nimox scored six for Franklin County while Bonds chipped in five and Thomas added four. In addition, Hunt finished with two points and Rancifer scored one.

The win came despite the Bulldogs hitting only 8-of-20 (40 percent) from the charity stripe. Covington went 3-of-4 (75 percent) from the line while Hunt was 2-of-4 (50 percent), Rancifer was 1-of-2 (50 percent) and Bonds was 2-of-6 (33.3 percent) against the Tigers. Nimox was 0-of-4 on the night.

BAY SPRINGS 61, FC 54

Bay Springs outscored Franklin County in three of the four quarters of play during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., holiday hoops tournament played at Jefferson Davis County High School in Bassfield on Monday, Jan. 16.

FC trailed 34-25 at the half, but rallied for a 19-11 run in the third quarter to knot the game at 44-all. In the fourth period, Bay Springs exploded for a 16-10 scoring pace to seal its win.

Covington led the way with 16 points for Franklin County while Wilson earned 11.

Covington was credited with a pair of three-pointers and three field goals while Wilson had a single trey and a pair of two-pointers.

Hunt finished his effort with eight points as Bonds tacked on seven and Thomas recorded six.

Additionally, Tyler Walton, Reshon Baker and Rancifer contributed two points each.

Hunt and Bonds were hot from the free throw line with the former hitting 2-of-2 (100 percent) and the latter sinking 5-of-6 (83.3 percent). Covington finished 4-of-9 (44.4 percent) from the line and Thomas was 2-of-6 (33.3 percent).

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UPCOMING GAMES

Franklin County has but four games left on its season slate with the Bulldogs hosting Wilkinson County on Wednesday, Jan. 25.

Results of that contest were not available at press time, but will be in next week’s print edition of The Franklin Advocate.

The Dawgs will take to the road for two-straight games — to face Wesson on Friday, Jan. 27 and Hazlehurst on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

FC will close out its 2022-2023 season with a home contest against Jefferson County on Friday, Feb. 3.



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