Franklin falls in final minute of PIAA 3A boys basketball championship
HERSHEY – Franklin went cold from the 3-point line and missed a few shots in the final minute to come up just short of the PIAA Class 3A boys basketball title with a 60-56 loss to Devon Prep on Saturday at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin ends the season 24-6, while Devon Prep went 15-13 with its second state championship despite missing two starters because of the transfer rule.
Franklin and Devon Prep traded the lead throughout the game as neither team could build a double-digit lead. Devon Prep led 14-11 after the first quarter and just 25-24 at halftime. The Tide used a 21-point third quarter to go up 46-37 but Franklin kept fighting back.
“I'm proud of these guys because there has been a lot of buzz about the Philadelphia schools in 3A and can we compete with them and I think the kids showed we can go blow to blow with them,” said Franklin coach Jason Fulmer. “I thought we were just as good as them but we left a little bit on the table offensively. We didn't shoot the ball well at times and that's basketball.”
Franklin rallied to tie the game at 50 on a pair of Cole Buckley free throws before Devon Prep went up 55-50. The Knights missed several 3-pointers in the final minutes as the Tide did just enough at the free throw line to secure the win.
Buckley led Franklin with 20 points, while Jalen Wood added 16 and Damarco Payne scored 12. Zane Conlon led Devon Prep with 20 points followed by Shane Doyle with 15 and Reece Craft and Zach Orchard with 11 apiece.
“We had eight to nine fire trucks and it took us an hour to get through town when we left for Hershey,” Fulmer said. “That's how much this season meant to everyone. We shut down 322 and people lined the streets of Franklin. This is a lifelong memory for the town and the team and I couldn't be prouder of these guys.”
Contact Tom Reisenweber at treisenweber@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNreisenweber.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Franklin falls in final minute of PIAA 3A boys basketball championship
