LAKE CHARLES — White Castle had a great start at the LHSAA Boys State Basketball tournament. Jalan Washington scored 15 first-half points and the Bulldogs led by 10 points at halftime.
But third-seeded Franklin found ways to finish. The Hornets took the lead with six minutes remaining and battled their way to a 42-38 victory over White Castle in a Division IV nonselect semifinal Tuesday night.
“I challenged those guys in the locker room,” Franklin coach Tremayne Johnson said. “They came out and showed some heart and fought through adversity.
“Really, there were no adjustments at halftime. It was all about heart and who wanted it at that point.”
Dalyn Bell led Franklin with 16 points and 21 rebounds, 16 of which came on the defensive end of the game played at Burton Coliseum. He was one of only five players who scored for the winners.
Washington, who finished with 18 points, was the lone double figures scorer for second-seeded White Castle (26-10).
With the win, Franklin (21-5) advances to play No. 4 North Central (23-12) at 4 p.m. Friday in the Division IV nonselect final at Burton.
Though Johnson did not mention defense, it was pivotal. The Hornets held White Castle to 10 second-half points, including four in the fourth quarter.
Shooting woes factored in too. The Bulldogs made just 29 percent of their field goals (15 of 51) and their free throws (5 of 17).
“You’re not going to beat many people when you score 10 points in a half,” WCHS coach Dawan Carter said. “We had fewer turnovers. If we made more free throws it would have been different. We also let them have second-chance points.”
The game started slow. The Bulldogs led 8-7 and quickly built on that lead. A basket by Kardell Gales and a 3-pointer by Washington gave WCHS a 13-9 lead less than three minutes into the period.
The Bulldogs pushed the lead to 12 points and they led 28-18 at halftime. White Castle still led by five, at 34-29, after three quarters.
The Hornets took the lead and a layup by Bell made it 37-34. A bucket by Gales got the Bulldogs to within one at 37-36 but they never regained the lead.
“Every time we’re out in the neighborhood, people tell us to keep the (White Castle) tradition going,” Gales said. “We came up short, but I believe the whole town will be still behind us.”
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