The Wildcats couldn’t hold off hard-charging Dunbar, squandering a 13-point lead and losing 77-76 in overtime in an epic regional title game at the University of Dayton Arena.
“We’ve got a lot of heartbreak in there,” said Franklin coach Brian Bales, motioning toward his locker room. “But these seniors have nothing to be ashamed of. What they did for this program and this community — heck, for Southwest Ohio — I haven’t seen a team do what they’ve done in a long time. They’ve got a lot to be proud of.”
Luke Kennard tallied 41 points, nine rebounds and three assists in his final game with the Wildcats, who finished 26-2 after reaching the regional for the first time.
Evan Crowe scored 17 points and Jake Riddell added 10 for Franklin, which shot 50 percent from the field and from 3-point range (9 of 18).
“It was a great ride,” said Kennard, who will play for Duke University next season. “We’ve done things that Franklin’s never accomplished before, so we’re proud of that. I wish we weren’t done yet, but everything happens for a reason I guess. You can learn and just move on from it.”
It was a deeply satisfying victory for Dunbar (22-5) and Ohio State-bound senior guard A.J. Harris.
Harris had 23 points, nine assists and four boards, and it was his free throw with 2.4 seconds left in OT that lifted the Wolverines to the Final Four in Columbus.
“It’s just the heart of the kids, and I say that all the time, but people don’t believe it,” Dunbar coach Peter Pullen said. “They want it, they fight hard.
“I came up with a saying, and we put it on the back of our shirts: We will. And that means anything. We will do it in the classroom. We will do it in the hallways. We will do it on the court.”
The Wolverines roared back after falling behind 35-22 early in the third quarter. The Wildcats led 26-22 at intermission, then started the second half with a trio of 3-pointers, two by Riddell.
Dunbar got back in the game by pushing the pace, the style of play it’s known for, and overcame a 3-of-11 effort at the charity stripe in the fourth period (12 of 22 overall).
Crowe made 1 of 2 foul shots with 16.0 left in regulation to give Franklin a 69-66 lead, only to watch Chris Jackson drill a trey eight seconds later and force overtime.
Jackson added another huge three in OT to complete his six-point performance.
With the score tied 76-76, Harris held the ball for a last shot, then was fouled going up for a jumper. He sank his first try and missed the second.
Asked about his mind-set at the line, Harris replied, “I’m going to hit it. It’s 50-50, so I’m going to hit it.”
The Wildcats had one last chance after his misfire. Kennard hauled in a long inbounds pass, but was off the mark with a desperation 30-footer at the buzzer.
“It was a great experience playing my brother Luke,” said Harris, who’s close to Kennard on the AAU circuit. “At the end of the day, we’re going to state.”
Pullen and Harris insisted that Harris did, indeed, get fouled with 2.4 ticks remaining. The Franklin side wasn’t so sure.
An official called the foul on Riddell, but Cox Media photos clearly showed that Matt Thompson was the Wildcat guarding Harris.
Bales’ reaction to the call?
“I’m not going to get into that,” he said. “With two seconds to go in a regional final, I hope he believes he made the right call. But I’m not going to comment. I’d have to see it on film.”
Kennard chased the officials and did some yelling as they ran off the court after the game. “I just thought we kind of got screwed over by a certain guy,” he said.
Kennard ended his career as the No. 2 scorer in Ohio prep history with 2,977 points, trailing only Jon Diebler of Fostoria and Upper Sandusky (3,208). He moved past Jay Burson of New Concord John Glenn (2,958) in the third stanza.
“That’s not just me,” Kennard said. “That’s my whole team. I’ve got to give credit to those guys.”
Pullen said the Wolverines didn’t focus on trying to stop Kennard.
“There was no way we could stop him,” Pullen said. “Our thing was, don’t let the others beat us.”
“It seemed like they were kind of taking everybody else away and trying the best they could on Luke,” Bales said. “We told him to take us to the finish line, and he did. I thought he played great.”
Doriane Dawson (17), Joshua Bryant (12) and Terrance Landers (12) scored in double digits for the Wolverines. Landers grabbed 11 rebounds.
Dunbar will meet Defiance in a 2 p.m. state semifinal Friday at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus. The Wolverines’ last championship came in 2012 when Harris was a freshman.
“Now that I’m a senior, I just want to win it again,” he said. “We just have to keep our composure and keep fighting and keep it as a family and keep it as a team. That’s all we have to do.”
Austin Doliboa had six rebounds and Crowe chipped in four assists as Franklin’s 18-game winning streak came to a halt. The Wildcats are losing eight seniors: Kennard, Crowe, Doliboa, Riddell, Jordan Adleta, Cody Barnes, Thompson and Cole Blevins.
“They’re tore up,” Bales said. “We’ve had a lot of tough losses, but I’ve never seen a group beat up like that. I think they could taste it. To not be able to finish it the way we wanted to is tough.”
Dunbar and Thurgood Marshall have dominated this region in recent years. Bales really felt this was the year Franklin would break through and make it to Columbus.
“We have a lot of respect for Dunbar and Thurgood, but we really felt — not in a disrespectful way — they would have to come through us,” Bales said. “And they did. And Dunbar came out on top tonight. But I wouldn’t want to be in any other locker room. I’m proud of our guys. I’m going to miss the heck out of them.”
Franklin 11-15-23-20-7—76
Dunbar 12-10-22-25-8—77
FRANKLIN (26-2): Austin Doliboa 2 0 4; Jake Riddell 3 1 10; Luke Kennard 13 11 41; Evan Crowe 5 6 17; Matt Thompson 1 1 4. Totals: 24-19-76.
DUNBAR (22-5): Doriane Dawson 7 1 17; A.J. Harris 8 5 23; Joshua Bryant 6 0 12; Chris Jackson 2 0 6; JoQuan Thomas 1 0 2; Robert Williams 1 2 5; Terrance Landers 4 4 12. Totals: 29-12-77.
3-pters: F 9 (Kennard 4, Riddell 3, Crowe, Thompson), D 7 (Dawson 2, Harris 2, Jackson 2, Williams)
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