An outstanding season came to an end Tuesday night, February 28, for the New Franklin Lady Bulldogs at the hands of No. 2 Tipton, 61-18, in the sectional round of the Class 2 state tournament. 

New Franklin finishes the season 20-9 overall, highlighted by two wins over rival Salisbury and a district title. This marked the first 20-win season since 2016, when the Lady Bulldogs went 22-9 with a trip to the final four.

New Franklin won a thrilling Class 2 District 7 tournament, defeating Harrisburg in overtime in the semifinals, and Salisbury in the final to claim their first district title since 2016.

Unfortunately, the Lady Bulldogs received the second-toughest draw in the state tournament. They faced the No. 2 team in the state, Tipton, in Tuesday’s state sectional in Jefferson City.

But despite finishing on the bottom side of a lopsided final game, New Franklin coach Morgan Grosse said she was just happy to have made the round of 16.

“It was a constant reminder that they had done something that hadn’t been done in seven years,” Grosse said. “We were in the Sweet 16. We really did end on a really good note, just being in this game and in this moment.”

Any questions about why Tipton was ranked No. 2 were swiftly answered on Tuesday. The Cardinals controlled the boards on both ends and shot well from all over. Defensively, they forbade any efforts by New Franklin to penetrate, contested nearly every shot, and took up residence in the passing lanes.

“You always want to be realistic,” Grosse said about entering the game against such a revered team. “And you want to tell them where they’ve been and how far they’ve gone, and understanding all these games are bonuses. They should be the best teams that we’re going to see. It doesn’t mean that we’re the underdog, this is just the match-up we got.”

Tipton roared out of the chute, taking a 7-0 lead in the first three minutes of the game. New Franklin struggled offensively to get the ball to the rim. Senior Kelsi Fair finally broke the ice for the Lady Bulldogs with a post shot. Senior Emma Rice added a free throw late in the first quarter to make the score 13-3 after eight minutes.

New Franklin cut Tipton’s lead down to single digits in the opening minutes of the second quarter. Senior Carly Dorson sank one of two free-throw attempts. Rice then made both free-throw tries to cut the score to 13-6.

Tipton then rattled off 15 straight points to all but put the game away. New Franklin scored just four points in the second quarter, all from the line.

Tipton continued to run away with the score in the second half. Leading 37-7 at halftime, the Lady Cardinals went up 52-16 after three quarters on the way to the 61-18 win.

“No matter what that score says, it doesn’t dictate who they are or what they’ve done,” Grosse said about her team. “They’re a really great group that has done great things. There’s nothing to hang our heads about.”

Tipton moved on to defeat Northeast (Cairo) 64-29 on Friday in Moberly to advance to the final four in Springfield. The Lady Cardinals will take on Norwood (23-6) in the state semifinals on Friday. 

For New Franklin, the season ends with a 20-9 record. The Lady Bulldogs bid farewell to seniors Carly Dorson, Kelsi Fair, and Emma Rice.

“Those three seniors have been here while a lot of their teammates bailed,” Grosse said. “They stuck it out, and they’re a good group, all three of them. They’re very unique from one another, but all of them have hearts of gold.”

Dorson was second on the team in scoring this season, averaging 14.1 points per game. A four-year starter, she finished with nine points and made seven of 10 free-throw shots in her final game on Tuesday.

“She has improved significantly every year,” Grosse said about Dorson. “She’s quiet but is someone who leads by example. She works extremely hard, and I never doubted her effort. She’s the heart of the team. She really cares. She’s competitive and really loves the sport.”

Rice began her high school basketball career as a sophomore. She posted three points, all from the line, on Tuesday. 

Gross said that she was happy to see the tall girl walk through the door on that first day of practice in 2020. “She’s probably the sweetest soul you will ever meet. She genuinely cares about everyone.”

New Franklin also loses starting senior Kelsi Fair, who finished with four points in Tuesday’s game. “She moved here in eighth grade and had never played a day of basketball in her life,” Grosse recalled. “To see her progress over these years has been great. She’s our class clown. She’s also our vocal leader. She’s loud and keeps them going.”

Despite falling in the state sectionals, Grosse and the Lady Bulldogs finished a tough season in high fashion. “Twenty wins is always nice to put on the board,” she said. “And we get to hold that district title for a while.”