Franklin Knocks Off Previously Unbeaten Central Heights in Girls 2A Regional Semifinal

NACOGDOCHES -- The Franklin Lady Lions stunned previously unbeaten and fourth-ranked Nacogdoches Central Heights 72-69 on Friday night at SFA's Johnson Coliseum in their Class 2A Region III semifinal.

Franklin (29-6) will face Crawford -- a 49-45 winner over Tatum -- at noon Saturday with a trip to the state tournament in Austin on the line.

With the game tied at 69-69, Kyla Walker sank 3-of-4 free throws in the game's final seconds to deny Central Heights (35-1) a chance at playing for a state berth.

Central Heights’ Bailey Fountain led all scorers with 23 points. Katee Muckleroy had 12 points and Jodi Adkins added 11 points for the Lady Devils, which entered the fourth quarter with a 55-51 lead and led for most of the game.