By The Seattle Medium
The Metro League matchup between Franklin and Blanchet lived up to the hype on Friday night, as Blanchet overcame a late-game deficit to secure a dramatic 60-58 victory at Franklin High School. Franklin entered the game riding a six-game win streak come to an end, as Blanchet reinforced their position as one of the league’s top teams.
Blanchet came out firing, racing to a 10-0 lead in the opening minutes. Franklin Head Coach Tavar Proctor quickly called a timeout, delivering a fiery message to his team. The Quakers responded in a big way, closing the first quarter on a 14-2 run. Behind strong play from Kache’ Washington and Christian Fisher, Franklin turned the tide and ended the quarter with a narrow 14-12 lead.
The second quarter was a back-and-forth affair, as both teams traded buckets and defensive stops. Franklin maintained its momentum but couldn’t shake Blanchet, who kept the game close. At the half, Franklin held a slim 27-25 advantage, setting the stage for an intense second half.
The third quarter was a game of runs. Both teams had brief moments of control, but Franklin landed the final blow late in the period. Trailing 40-37 with 2:40 left in the quarter, Franklin scored 10 unanswered points to take a 47-40 lead and take control of the game heading into the further quarter. Kache’ Washington sparked the run with two baskets, followed by contributions from Kai Ngono, Ndiaye Mouhamadou, Lucas Sudduth, and a strong drive to the basket for a layup by Christian Fisher.
Franklin held their lead for most of the fourth quarter as Blanchet struggled to gain traction offensively. However, Mason Mandell’s clutch three-pointer with 5:34 left cut Franklin’s lead to 49-45, sparking Blanchet’s rally. With just over a minute remaining, Franklin still held a four-point advantage, but Blanchet executed flawlessly in the closing moments. Jonah Drezner sank two free throws, Quincy Belcher followed with a steal and layup, and Edward Augustavo scored off a Belcher assist to give Blanchet a 60-58 lead with 11.2 seconds remaining.
Franklin maintained their lead for much of the fourth quarter, holding off Blanchet’s attempts to close the gap. Blanchet’s Mason Mandell hit a clutch three-pointer with 5:34 remaining to cut Franklin’s lead to 49-45, and provide the Bears with the spark the needed down the stretch.
With just over a minute remaining, Franklin still held a four-point advantage, but Blanchet’s composure and timely execution proved to be the deciding factor in the closing moments of the game. Jonah Drezner sank two free throws, Quincy Belcher followed with a steal and layup, and Edward Augustavo scored off a Belcher assist to give Blanchet a 60-58 lead with 11.2 seconds remaining.
Franklin had one final chance to tie or win, but Ngono’s last-second shot fell short, sealing the win for Blanchet.
With the win, Blanchet improved to 8-1 in Metro League play (10-3 overall) and held on to second place in the standings. Franklin, now 6-3 in the Metro League (7-3 overall), fell into a tie with Lakeside for sixth place.
Pictorial Highlights of Franklin vs Bishop Blanchet
