The New Franklin Bulldogs hosted Sturgeon Friday evening in a very physical game matching similar hard-nosed teams. Tight throughout, the game featured many lead changes. Junior guard Caden Schlotzhauer, held scoreless in the first quarter, scored 14 of his game-leading 24 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Bulldogs to the 54-48 win.

A defensive battle ensued in the first period, as points were tough to come by. New Franklin senior Rylan Hundley hit a 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs a two-point lead near the end of the quarter. Sturgeon pushed the ball down the floor and as time expired, senior Josh Kelly tipped a missed shot in and was fouled on the attempt with .01 seconds remaining. He missed the free throw, keeping the score tied 7-7 heading into the second quarter.

Both teams continued to battle in the second period. Though New Franklin tied the game several times, they never pulled ahead as Sturgeon held an 18-20 lead at halftime.

“This was battle from start to finish,” New Franklin coach Jim Schlotzhauer said. “I give Sturgeon a lot of credit. Every time we made a mistake defensively, they took advantage and hit a big shot.”

Sturgeon started the third quarter with a 3-pointer, which New Franklin freshman Noah Hackman quickly answered with a triple of his own. Sturgeon scored the next four points, forcing a New Franklin timeout as Coach Schlotzhauer sought to reset his team, which trailed 21-27. 

Hundley quickly hit two threes out of the timeout as New Franklin went on a 14-10 run to end the quarter. Aiding that and foreshadowing what was to come, Schlotzhauer followed up a conventional three-point play with a 3-pointer to score the final six points for the hometown Bulldogs, who trailed 37-35.

Hundley again sank a shot from long distance to start the final quarter, giving New Franklin its first lead since the opening quarter, 38-37. Sturgeon took the lead back on the next possession.

That’s when Caden Schlotzhauer took over, hitting a two-point shot for the lead and two free throws to pad it. Hundley added another free throw, and New Franklin’s defense intensified, creating two more turnovers and five more points for Schlotzhauer. New Franklin’s lead swelled to 48-41.

“Our defense wasn’t as tough in the first half, and we allowed them to move the ball more freely than I liked,” Coach Schlotzhauer said. “We really picked it up in the second half, and it was a key to us coming back on them.”

Sturgeon was not done, scoring four straight to come within three.

Schlotzhauer hit another two before New Franklin committed a foul on a 3-point attempt. Kelly sank all three foul shots for Sturgeon to pull within two of New Franklin, 50-48.

New Franklin called a timeout to set up a critical inbound pass. All five New Franklin players lined up out of bounds in what resembled a pass play in football. Four players went deep, but Schlotzhauer broke back to the in-bounder and immediately was fouled. He sank one of two free throws, allowing life for Sturgeon with 20 seconds remaining.

“We’ve used that play several times this season,” Coach Schlotzhauer explained. “It’s tough to guard and something most teams haven’t seen. I give my assistant coach credit for that one.”

After a timeout, Sturgeon missed its attempt and was called for an intentional foul. Junior Lane Hackman connected on one of two free-throw attempts, and then Schlotzhauer hit two free throws to seal the hard-fought 54-49 victory.

Schlotzhauer led the way for New Franklin, scoring 24 points and hitting nine of his 11 free-throw attempts. Hundley added 17 points, sinking four 3-pointers.

The win snaps a four-game losing streak for New Franklin and raises the Bulldogs’ season record to 15-9. They fell at Pilot Grove on Monday 54-48. On Thursday, they host arch-rival Glasgow to conclude their regular season.

“We have two very tough games to finish the season,” said Coach Schlotzhauer. “Pilot Grove will be another physical game, and they’re playing well. Of course, Glasgow is going to be a big game as well. We’re looking for our first win against them this year; it should be a good one.”

Glasgow won the first matchup between the two Howard County rivals 61-39 on its home court on January 14.

New Franklin secured the No. 2 seed in next week’s Class 2 District 8 Tournament. The Bulldogs host the boys’ tournament, earning a first-round bye. On Wednesday, February 26, they will face the winner of the opening-night matchup between third-seeded Smithton and sixth-seeded Sweet Springs.