Columbus North High School

March 1, 2023 - On February 18, Columbus North and Franklin Community boys basketball teams battled in a double-overtime classic, won by North. Just ten days later, the two teams squared off again in the Columbus North Sectional and once again, the outcome was not decided until the last possession. The Grizzly Cubs had the ball with 19 seconds remaining and were facing a two-point deficit. The Cubs got three different shots to tie the game, but all three rattled out and the Dogs held on for a 40-38 victory and a berth in the second round of the Sectional against Columbus East on Friday night. Late in the second quarter of the game, it appeared as though the Grizzly Cubs were poised to take over and avenge the regular season loss. A 40-foot jump shot at the first quarter buzzer propelled Franklin to a 19-11 second quarter lead. However, the Bull Dogs regained composure, went on a 10-0 run and took a two-point lead into halftime. Senior Luke Harmon scored seven of his team-high 13 points in the second half and the Bull Dogs prevailed. Damon Edwards added ten points, and Ty Ferguson added seven in the victory. Bull Dogs leading scorer Cooper Horn was held to just five points, all of which were scored in the first half, as Franklin was committed defensively to keeping the ball out of his hands. Interestingly, the two teams each shot only one free throw for the entire contest, each making their only attempts. The Bull Dogs will face Columbus East, who drew a first-round bye, in the second game on Friday evening. The other bye was drawn by Whiteland who will face Shelbyville in the 6:00 game on Friday. Shelbyville advanced after a 54-47 overtime victory over East Central in the early game on Tuesday. Columbus North beat Columbus East 68-28 on December 16 in their only meeting this season. Single game ($7) and full Sectional passes ($15) will both be available for purchase at the gate on Friday or in advance using the following link: https://columbusnorthathletics.org/Tickets. Neither All-Sports passes nor BCSC badges will be honored for the remaining games as this event is run by the IHSAA rather than North High School. Photo: Damon Edwards puts in a late basket to help the Bull Dogs to a 40-38 victory over Franklin and advance to the second round of the Columbus North boys basketball sectional.