BY GWEN ALBERS
The Tidewater News

FRANKLIN — Franklin’s basketball team on Friday set a record for points in a game, defeating Region A opponent Colonial Beach 109-107 in triple overtime.

“We confirmed that this was indeed the highest-scoring basketball game in Franklin basketball as far back as 1948, and hands down it was one of the greatest games I have ever been a part of,” said Bronco Coach Danny Dillon.

The records showed that the previous high score was in 1985, when Franklin lost to Forest Glen 106-100.

“It was an amazing basketball game by both teams,” said Franklin Assistant Principal Travis Felts. “One of the most exciting high school games I’ve ever seen. Our kids never gave up and fought hard to the very end.”

The game took nearly 2½ hours to complete; most regulation games last about 90 minutes.

“It felt like midnight (when it was over) with all the fouls and extra timeouts,” Dillon said. “At that point, the entire gymnasium rushed to the floor. The people were just going nuts celebrating.”

He said his players were “absolutely wasted.”

“You couldn’t tell because of their adrenaline,” Dillon said. “Any team could’ve won at any point. Their heart and their enthusiasm was unmatched.”

Both teams scored 14 three-pointers. The average game sees three to six.

“It was just one of those duels,” he said.

In the first half of the non-district game, Franklin found itself down 33-15 after Colonial Beach hit nine three-pointers and trailed 40-35 at the half. The Broncos led 63-62 at the end of the third quarter.

Franklin was down by three with two seconds left in the game when Bronco freshman Adam Grant scored on a lay-up. He was fouled and made the free-throw to tie up the game 79-79.

At the end of the first overtime, the Broncos were down three with 12 seconds left. Franklin guards Jalen Vincent and Grant passed it back and forth looking for a three to tie. Grant saw the lane and decided to get a quick two points when a Coloinial Beach player fouled him. Grant made the lay-up and the free throw to send it into the second overtime.

“Play of the game, without a doubt, when Adam Grant got that foul and the bucket,” Dillon said. “All they had to do is let him make it and let the time run out and they would have won, but Grant was smart enough to know he had to draw the foul.”

In the second overtime, Franklin was down 98-92 with 42 seconds left.

“Colonial Beach had the ball and was called for traveling,” Dillon said. “(Franklin) freshman Marcus Stephens hit a three-pointer.

“This is just when it was great,” Dillon said. “You’re down by six, and you don’t have the ball. It’s pretty much the ball game.”

With 14 seconds left, Franklin fouled a Colonial Beach player.

“I thought ‘the game is over,’” Dillon said.

The fouled player missed a free-throw, and Franklin senior Jalen Vincent hit a three-pointer at the buzzer, tying up the game 98-98

In the final overtime, Franklin was down 107-106.

“We fouled them and there was 16 seconds left,” Dillon said. “They were playing really good defense.”

The ball was passed to Franklin’s Deronte Holmes, who hit a three-pointer, giving Franklin the win with 2.6 seconds left.

“They got the ball at mid-court and dribbled a couple of times,” Dillon said. “We basically triple teamed him. He passes it with one second left, to a kid in the corner. He shoots a three(-pointer) at the buzzer and gets it off the rim.”

Grant led with 30 points. Junior Tyshaun Lowe added 28 points and 18 rebounds. Vincent scored 20 points, including five three-pointers, and grabbed 10 rebounds. Holmes scored 16 points.

The Broncos are 4-2 with a district record of 1-0.