Grizzly Cubs run past Jets

HOPE — Franklin played at one speed for most of Saturday night’s boys basketball contest against Hauser.

Fast.

The Jets pushed the tempo as well and kept the game within reach after the first quarter. The Grizzly Cubs eventually showed why they are unbeaten this season as they pulled away for a 77-52 win.

Franklin went on an 18-5 run in the middle of the second quarter by knocking down perimeter shots and creating turnovers. Jarrett Bertsch knocked down three 3-pointers, and Cameron Smith added a couple of baskets to spark the run.

Hauser got to within 26-22 early in the second quarter after a couple layups by Zach Gearhart before the run by the Grizzly Cubs’ began.

“They are a well-coached ball team, and tonight was going to be a huge challenge for us,” Hauser coach Bob Nobbe said. “We had a very good first quarter, but then we started losing track of their shooters. We tried to make some adjustments at halftime. We got it within distance to start the second half and then all of a sudden, ‘Boom,’ they blew the game wide open.”

Franklin (4-0) had a 44-32 lead early in the third quarter when Bryce Wentzell and Andrew Hartkorn helped it end the quarter on a 14-4 run. With the game out of reach at that point, both teams emptied their benches early in the fourth quarter.

The Jets (4-2) were led by Connor Wilson with 17 points. Zach Johnson finished with 11 and Gearhart added 10.

The Grizzly Cubs were led by Hartkorn, who dominated inside the paint to finish with 20 points. Bertsch had 11 and Smith added 10.

Nobbe said there are learning curves to take away from this game.

“Give a lot of credit to Franklin — they do a lot of the facets of the game real well,” Nobbe said. “We have to work on being more consistent and playing well all four quarters. At times, we did some real good things like blocking out and hitting some big shots. In order to beat great teams, it is all about consistency, and that is what we have to work on.”