Columbus North and Franklin Central needed an extra period to decide Friday night’s back-and-forth game.
Franklin Central withstood 13 lead changes before giving the Bull Dogs their first loss of the season, 46-43, in a Conference Indiana game.
Mason Hardimon led the Flashes with 13 points, and Grant Pedigo ended the game with a double-double. He scored 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
“We like Mason having the ball,” Franklin Central coach John Rockey said. “He is a very strong kid around the rim.”
Marquel Harper played an efficient game to help the Flashes, shooting 50 percent from the field on his way to 11 points. Rockey was pleased with how his team played offensively but said the defense was the key to getting the win.
It was a grind-it-out game the entire way, with the biggest lead coming in the fourth quarter when Franklin Central (1-1, 1-0) went up by five. North (4-1, 0-1) struggled to score points at the free-throw line, hitting only 9 of 17 to go along with its 17 turnovers.
“It’s tough to win close games when you turn the ball over that much and don’t shoot free throws very well,” North coach Paul Ferguson said.
Alex King kept the Bull Dogs in the game by posting game highs of 14 points and 13 rebounds. Both Ethan Mitchell and King protected the rim down the stretch with two blocks apiece.
“Alex has had a great season,” Ferguson said. “He played an outstanding game. We just didn’t have enough as a team offensively tonight.”
Ferguson was pleased with the effort his team gave, despite the offensive struggle. North won second and third quarters by a seven-point margin but could not pull it through in the fourth and overtime.
The loss ends the Bull Dogs’ four-game winning streak, but Ferguson said this is not a bad time for his team to take a defeat.
“We can learn and grow from this,” Ferguson said. “We have a big weekend next week. I think this motivates us to come out and have an outstanding week of practice.”
