Franklin Regional gets revenge on Moon in PIAA Class 5A semifinals

By: Chris Harlan
Monday, March 18, 2024 | 10:16 PM

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Franklin Regional built a big lead Monday night only to see Moon erase it entirely, which was reminiscent of how the Panthers lost in the WPIAL final a few weeks ago.

This time, there was at least one difference.

“We had two more quarters. That was the big thing,” said Franklin Regional coach Jesse Reed, whose Panthers regrouped after halftime to defeat WPIAL champion Moon, 60-43, in a PIAA Class 5A semifinal that drew a raucous crowd to Peters Township’s gym.

Franklin Regional had led by 15 points in the first quarter but trailed by three at halftime. In the WPIAL finals, the Panthers saw a double-digit lead vanish in the fourth quarter.

This time, they had an entire second half to play.

“We got a little lax in the second quarter, but dudes were ready to play for the start of the third,” Reed said. “We were the aggressor for the last 16 minutes.”

Cam Rowell scored a game-high 17 points, and fellow senior Fin Hutchison delivered a few clutch shots in a decisive third quarter that has the Panthers headed to Hershey for the first time since 1997.

Cooper Rankin scored 12 points, and Hutchison and Colin Mastin had 11 points each.

Franklin Regional (27-3) will face Philadelphia power Imhotep Charter (27-3) at 8 p.m. Friday at Giant Center. The Panthers’ only other appearance in the state finals was a runner-up finish in 1997. Coincidentally, Imhotep was the opponent Reed faced in the 2011 state finals as a player for Greensburg Central Catholic.

“You always dream of opportunities like this,” Reed said. “I was fortunate to experience it as a player. As a coach, I think it feels even better because I get to see these guys experience that joy and satisfaction and the anticipation and excitement. … It’s really hard to put into words how thankful I am for this group.”

Making this win feel better for Franklin Regional was avenging a 53-48 loss to Moon in the WPIAL finals.

“I’m on top of the world,” said Rowell, who finished his night with a dunk late in the fourth quarter. “I’m just so excited to get back at Moon because we gave them an easy one when we shouldn’t have. As soon as we lost that game, we’ve been saying we can get them back.”

Another difference between the games was the health of Moon’s Elijah Guillory, a Youngstown State recruit who injured an ankle in the first half Monday. The 6-foot-5 senior was hurt in the first quarter and tweaked the injury again in the second. Guillory continued to play, but his mobility was limited.

After scoring 11 points in the first half, he had only two after halftime on a pair of free throws.

“It definitely makes it tougher not to have him full strength,” Moon coach Gino Palmosina said. “But we’re not going to sit here and make excuses. … Those were the cards we were dealt. We played them and came up short.”

Franklin Regional opened the third quarter with 10 consecutive points, a run fueled by three straight baskets from Hutchison including a go-ahead 3-pointer. The Panthers held Moon scoreless for nearly six minutes in that run.

A 3-pointer by Hutchison gave Franklin Regional a 30-28 lead with 6:45 left in the third. After a three-minute stretch of scoreless basketball, Hutchison scored again, making a jumper and a 3-pointer for a 35-28 lead.

“He hit a lot of timely shots,” Reed said. “He’s a great shooter. I trust him wholeheartedly. Any time he got the ball on the perimeter and got an open look, fire that thing up.”

Franklin Regional won the third quarter 16-5 behind Hutchison’s eight points. The Panthers entered the fourth quarter with a 41-33 lead.

“(Hutchison) was key in the second half,” Reed said. “Colin Masten was excellent defensively, and Coop and Cam do what they do. Whenever you have all guys clicking on all cylinders like that, it’s fun to watch.”

Franklin Regional sprinted to a 17-2 lead in the first quarter behind nine points from Rowell and a defense that forced five turnovers. But Moon rallied back with runs of 14-2 and 10-0 to build a 28-25 lead by halftime.

Moon scored 23 of its 43 points in the second quarter. The Tigers were held to five points in the first quarter and totaled only 15 in the second half. Guillory finished with 13 points, and Aiden Reesman had 10.

“We had to make more adjustments than usual just because of the Guillory situation,” Palmosina said. “A lot of stuff goes to him.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional, Moon