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Metro League: Richland, North Lake to meet in the Finals

Richardson - Thursday evening the Metro Conference semi-finals were played at Richland College, and North Lake and Richland won their semi-final game. The pair who split their regular season conference games will be fighting for the Region 5 Division III Championship Saturday, at 2:00 pm at the neutral site of Brookhaven College.

Richland uses home court to seal the victory

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Franklin
Franklin

During the first matchup, Richland took on Brookhaven College and won by the score of 71-67. The Richland Thunderducks were led by sophomores Wesley Franklin, Curk Harris and Greg Schexnayder. The trio combined for 35 points as Franklin scored 13 which 11 of those points came in the second half. Harris' 12 points included one three-pointer made, and the third Thunderduck Harris finished with 10.

For Brookhaven, it was Keilyn Nance who scored 16, followed by Jordan Enloe 14, and Jordan Courtney's 10 points rounded out the double-digit scoring for the Bears.

Franklin struggled from the free-throw line, but the sophomore and the rest of the team managed to get the victory.

"We didn't shoot the ball well from the free-throw line, but we got the win," Franklin said of Richland's 21 missed free-throws. "We got enough stops and got on the boards, and at the end of the day, all that matters is winning."

Coach's View 

Thoughts on the win -

After being down at half 32-28, the Thunderducks paddled their way to a victory.

"Brookhaven plays extremely hard and they came into the game with confidence," said head Richland coach Jon Havens. "We competed in the second half and started driving to the rim more which led to foul shots. We were aggressive and we were awarded for it."

Outlook for Saturday's Championship Game -

"We will rest, watch film and hope to execute better."

Brazeal puts North Lake in Finals

Brazeal
Brazeal

Sophomore Dare Brazeal muscled his way to a game-high 20 points in North Lake's 71-68 win versus Cedar Valley. Also reaching double figures for the Blazers were Akeem Black who totaled 13, Josh Harris added 11 and Deondre Hopkins had all 10 of his points in the second half.

Athlete JF Thomas led the Suns with 17, while Eric Stewart went for 14, and Josh Johnson added 11.

Having to sit on the bench due to foul trouble, Brazeal believed that his Blazers would win.

"I had faith in my teammates that we could keep pull it out and get the win," Brazeal said. "We played our game and didn't rush ourselves."

Coach's View

Thoughts on the win -

"It was a tough game for us with players out, and you could see that we were tired, but it was a good win," said Tim Mcgraw, head North Lake coach.

Outlook for Saturday's Championship Game -

"Richland is like us, they are banged up, but there are no secrets to Saturday. We just have to finish it off."

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