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FRANKLIN

The varsity boys and girls basketball teams from Sussex Central High School were in the Peggy Wilkins Gym at Franklin High School on Thursday, Jan. 6, for games against the Franklin squads, and after the final horn sounded to end play for both games, the Lady Broncos and Broncos were victorious.

After a close first half with the Lady Broncos up 12-10 at the half, they had a good third quarter in scoring, dropping in 16 points to the Lady Tigers’ nine points. The home team went on to claim a 37-27 win over the Lady Tigers. 

The Lady Broncos had two players in double figures — Ariana Picot, with 14 points, and Arbani Wiggins, with 11 points.

In comments after the game, Lady Broncos Head Coach Dennis Sumblin said, “It was a big victory for us because we have not beaten Sussex for a while. I think our girls were a little shaken in the beginning, but I told them to calm down and convinced them that they were better than this team and that they had to get out there and play better than this team. 

“Then we started to score points and play better defense,” Sumblin continued. “But near the end of the game, a couple of my girls started cramping up, and they were my two best ball handlers. So, I had to take them out and put someone else in. I soon found something new, as Aushari Barnes stepped up and played good defense. Roshanda Hoskie also stepped up, but she will have to get a little stronger. But overall, we are coming.

“We lost 3-4 games starting out but were always in the ballgame but we ended up losing the game,” he added. “But I told them that everyone we lost to we are going to beat in the second round, and right now we are headed that way.”

For the boys’ game, the Broncos jumped out in front quickly, outscoring the Tigers 17-8 in the first quarter. Strong defense by the Broncos limited the Tigers to only five points in the second quarter as the Broncos went to the locker room up 31-13. The Tigers managed to outscore the Broncos in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late as the home team won easily with a final score of 54-36.

“This was just another overall great effort by our boys,” Franklin Head Coach Robby Cutchins said. “We saw very unselfish basketball. We played really hard and scrappy.”

Cutchins gave credit to the Tigers.

“I know the score does not reflect it, but Sussex really got after us, and they make you play extremely hard,” he said. “They make you play very fundamentally sound basketball, so hats off to Sussex as they have a great program over there.”

The coach said he is quite proud of his players.

“That is four big wins in a row going back to the Southampton game on the 15th of December,” he said. “I hope that will trampoline us and carry us into the new year.”    

The Broncos had three players in double figures. They were led by Derrick Perry, with 17 points. Kenaz Jones had 14 points, and Kaden Bailey finished with 11 points.