Sharon Basketball Falls to Franklin

The Sharon High boys basketball team lost to Franklin, 54-40, on Tuesday night at Eagle Gymnasium.

“We were very competitive up until the six-minute mark of the fourth period,” said Sharon Head Coach Bruce Jackman. “We got out of our offense – we continued to play pretty good defense – but offensively, we got very stagnant.”

“It was a tough game,” said senior captain Kevin Bartas. “Obviously, they’re a great defensive team, holding us to 40 points. I did see a lot of good things through the first three quarters, but we just fell apart – stopped running our offense and getting motion towards the end; that’s what really held us back.”

During the fourth quarter, Sharon cut the Panthers’ double-digit lead to four points with an effective press. However, Franklin coach Dean O’Connor called a timeout, and the Panthers quickly regained a more sizable advantage.

Bartas says that during the first three-and-a-half quarters, “our rebounding and our help defense was very good. We made them take tough shots. As the game progressed, we wore out, they really picked up the defensive intensity, and we couldn’t match it,” he said.

Jackman says that the Eagles’ defense was a strong point. “We held them to 54 points; we played great defense. I think we did a really good job up until the six-minute mark,” he said.

Sharon returns to Davenport Division play as they host Canton, weather permitting, on Friday night. Jackman says that the Eagles are eager to rebound from Tuesday’s defeat.

“That’s the good thing about basketball – you play two games per week, and the kids are pretty resilient. They bounce back quickly,” Jackman said.

Last month, Sharon defeated the Bulldogs, 76-62, in Canton. Bartas said, “Friday night is huge. It’s not a must-win game, but it’s very close. On our court against a team that’s beatable, we just have to step up - come out strong and do what we have to do.”