The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
The Franklin High School Lady Warriors wasted no time in setting the stage in their December 21 win over the Haddonfield Bulldogs.
Less than two minutes into the game, Franklin jumped out to a 4-0 lead – thanks to two layups from senior Keona Schenck – and expanded that lead to 14-1 halfway into the first quarter.
The Lady Warriors so dominated the Bulldogs that by the end of that first frame, all the visitors could muster were three points, all off of free throws, while the Lady Warriors racked up 22 points.
It was another strong showing for the Lady Warriors in general and for the Schenck twins – Keona and Kennady – in particular: Kennady led all scorers with 23 points, while Keona contributed 18 to the 68-41 win.
And while the Twins – as they’re known – are emerging as the Lady Warriors’ dominant players, Coach Audrey Taylor is quick to point out that the team is full of dangerous scorers.
“With our team, it’s always five players that can execute,” she said. “It’s pick between our team. We’re trying to get everybody to feel confident enough to be able to score.”
The players are showing that they can score from wherever they’re given the opportunity. In the Haddonfield game, 21 points came from outside the arc: the Twins each sank three from downtown, while senior Onoseta Ufuah made one.
If it wasn’t clear from the first quarter that the Lady Warriors were rolling, their 40-16 lead into halftime should have made that obvious. The Bulldogs didn’t break the 20-point mark until about midway through the third quarter.
The third was all Franklin’s as well, with the Lady Warriors leading 58-29 at the buzzer.
Haddonfield barely outscored Franklin in the final frame, 12-10.
Taylor said after the game that she was pleased with the way the team played together.
“I liked their transition, the way they shared the ball, the extra passes today,” she said. “I thought they played really well with that, as a team.”
As for the Schenck twins, they say they’re easing into their roles as team leaders.
“I guess we’re just being selfish, but selfless,” Keona Schenck said. “We’re taking the shots that are open.”
“If nobody’s on us, we’re taking the shot,” she said. “We’re being leaders now, taking our drives when we need to but also working with our team all around.”
Kennedy Schenck said that she and her sister have the spotlight on them more now, with the graduation of Diamond Miller and Tiana Jackson.
“We’re also showing people what we can do,” she said. “Last year, we didn’t really get to show everything that we had. But now that it’s our time as seniors, we have to show them what we can really do as individuals.”
Kennady Schenck also pulled in six rebounds and had an assist and a steal. Keona Schenck had six rebounds, four assists and a steal.
Ufuah scored 11 points, had two rebounds, an assist, a block and two steals.
Junior Kyleral Dempsy-Toney and freshman Gissell Gamble each contributed six points to the win. Dempsy-Toney also had five rebounds and a block, while Gamble had one rebound, five assists and a steal.
Junior Morgan Jones and freshman Alyssa Pecorella each contributed two points. Jones also had three rebounds, an assist and three steals, while Pecorella had one rebound.
With the win, the Lady Warriors improve their record to 2-0, and 36 straight wins from last season.
The Lady Warriors’ next home game is January 7, 2020 against Bridgewater.
Following are some scenes from the game:
