(Versailles, IN) – South Ripley turned a tight first half into a strong second-half finish Tuesday night, defeating Franklin County 58–49 in a boys basketball matchup at South Ripley High School.
The game was even early, with the teams tied 12–12 after the first quarter. Franklin County carried a 20–19 lead into halftime, but South Ripley grabbed control in the third quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 19–14 to take a 38–34 advantage. The Raiders then closed the game with a 20–15 edge in the fourth.
Dylan Jessee led South Ripley with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Sophomore Eli Gilpin added 14 points with three triples, and Mason Bascom scored nine in a starting role. Blake Gunter came off the bench to add seven, while Drew Volz and Landon Werner finished with five points each.
Franklin County was led by senior point guard Brady Foster with 14 points. Jerod Rauch scored 10, all in the fourth quarter, and Jordan Stringer added eight. Ezra Kolb and Carson Allen scored six apiece, and Max Foster chipped in five.
South Ripley finished 11-of-20 on two-point field goals and 8-of-21 from beyond the arc, while going 7-of-10 at the free-throw line. Franklin County went 13-of-32 on twos, 4-of-14 on threes and 6-of-9 at the line.
The Wildcats won the turnover battle, committing 11 turnovers to South Ripley’s 16, but the Raiders were able to play at a faster pace after halftime and made enough shots down the stretch to create separation.
South Ripley improved to 9–4 with the win, while Franklin County slipped to 4–7.
South Ripley is back in action Friday night at Oldenburg Academy, while Franklin County heads to East Central Saturday afternoon. You can hear both of those games on 103.9 FM and The WRBI App.