PITSBURG – The Franklin Monroe Jets coasted to a 49–40 non-conference win over the visiting Yellow Springs Bulldogs on Monday night in varsity boys basketball action.
Despite the nine-point margin, Franklin Monroe head coach Troy Myers said the performance left plenty to clean up.
“I thought we played with a lot of assumptions today,” Myers said. “I thought we struggled to respond at times, which disappoints me. You could see the youth on our team on the floor at times, and I thought our experienced players weren’t particularly our leaders all night long, although I thought at times they were. We have to have our experienced kids who are on the floor setting an example for 32 minutes.”
Junior Blake Riffle, the Jets’ leading scorer, battled foul trouble throughout the night and picked up his fifth foul with just over seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Even with limited minutes, Riffle led all scorers with 18 points.
“Blake’s physicality commands a call,” Myers said. “His physicality in the game forces decisions with the referee. Last Tuesday, we were on the bad end of the whistle, and this past Friday, we were on the good end of the whistle. What we have to try to figure out is how to keep Blake from the questionable calls so he doesn’t get himself in trouble. His physicality on the glass and at the rim really imposes some decision-making, and sometimes it’s not going to go your way.”
Franklin Monroe jumped out to a 6-0 start, forcing an early Bulldogs timeout, but Yellow Springs responded with a 9-0 run to take a 9-6 lead at the three-minute mark of the opening quarter. Sophomore Evan Addis checked in at the 2:30 mark and immediately sparked the Jets, scoring five quick points on back-to-back fast-break layups, including an old-fashioned three-point play. Yellow Springs closed the quarter on top, 15-13.
The game swung decisively in the second quarter. Riffle opened a 16-0 Jets run with a drive to the basket, and Franklin Monroe stretched the lead to 29-15 in less than four minutes. Riffle poured in 12 points in the period, including a three-pointer, as the Jets carried a 32-20 advantage into halftime.
Yellow Springs trimmed the margin early in the third quarter with a 5-2 run to make it 34-25, but Franklin Monroe quickly answered. A Gilbert three pushed the lead back to 12, and Addis returned late in the period to knock down three shots for six points in a hurry. The Jets closed the quarter ahead 44-27.
Franklin Monroe coasted the rest of the way, even after Riffle’s early exit in the fourth. Yellow Springs won the final period 13-5, but the Bulldogs were unable to erase the Jets’ cushion.
Addis finished with 11 points in limited minutes, providing energy on both ends of the floor.
“Evan’s energy can twist a game quickly just because of his intensity and effort,” Myers said. “The points are secondhand to what his energy brought. He turned it over some, but he was real quick to try and get it back and get us going the other direction. I thought his energy on the glass down low was a difference-maker, especially with Blake being out some.”
Following the win, Myers emphasized development as the Jets head into the holiday break.
“We’re a man down, and we still have a lot of growing up to do,” Myers said. “We have a lot of inexperience on the floor. Hopefully, the holidays give us time to practice and work on the things we need to grow in. We’re trying to play hard and do some things that create advantages for us where we don’t have size or experience, and hopefully we can continue on.”
Franklin Monroe was 9-19 at the free throw line for 47 percent, while Yellow Springs shot 70 percent on 7-10.
BOX SCORE:
FRANKLIN MONROE 49, YELLOW SPRINGS 40
FRANKLIN MONROE – B. Riffle18, E. Addis 11, L. Brenner 10, B. Gilbert 6, R. Brumbaugh 2, M. Skidmore 2 – TOTALS 14 9-19 4 49
YELLOW SPRINGS – L. Mikesell 12, A. Lewis 12, M. Buster 4, S. Sajabi 4, D. Reed 3,T. Horvath 3, S. Schultz 2 – TOTALS 6 7-10 7 40
3-POINTERS
Franklin Monroe 4 – Gilbert 4, Brenner 1, Riffle 1
Yellow Springs 7 – L. Mikesell 3, A. Lewis 3, T. Horvath 1
SCORE by QUARTERS
13-19-12-05 49 Franklin Monroe
15-05-07-13 40 Yellow Springs
