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North tops East behind Frankamp’s 48 points
By Joanna Chadwick/The Wichita Eagle
Published Feb. 5 at 11:43 p.m. | Last updated Feb. 6 at 6:10 a.m.
Gallery: Frankamp scores 48 as North beats East 71-63
During postgame interviews, North boys coach Gary Squires consistently references the key contributions of any player not named Conner Frankamp.
So after Tuesday’s 71-63 win over visiting East, Squires pointed out how well juniosr Zach Beard (10 points), Tarius Williams (10) and Sean Bernard (four rebounds) played.
And then the conversation returned to where it began, with Frankamp, who scored a game-high 48 points, his third game this season of 40 or more points. He has seven games of more than 40 points in his career, the most in City League history, including the top two point totals (52 and 48).
“He’s been shooting it well in practice lately,” said Squires, whose team improved to 13-2 overall, 10-1 in the City League. “I knew that one of these nights, he’d just go for a big night because in our shooting drills and stuff, he’s been lighting it up. When he gets it going….”
Frankamp hit 11 of 20 field goals, 5 of 12 three-pointers and 21 of 22 free throws. He scored all 10 of North’s first-quarter points and 19 of its 21 fourth-quarter points. East scored 11 in the final period.
He awed the fans with his five threes, most from deep beyond the three-point line. He used a cross-over move to drive inside for a basket.
But his free throws were near perfect. He made 12 straight in the fourth quarter.
“He gets it up on his fingertips,” Squires said. “He arches it. He has a soft touch, and the other thing, he’s so confident and he works at it, too.”
After every practice, Frankamp shoots to make 25 straight. If he misses, he starts over.
“I try to keep my technique and shoot with arch,” Frankamp said. “I feel that’s the most important thing with free throws…. I just try to keep my elbow under the ball and keep my feet squared to the goal.”
While North made 28 of 32 free throws — Beard was 4 of 4 — East struggled. The Aces made 7 of 21 free throws, missing their first eight, which prompted the North student section to chant “we make free throws.”.
“It was a huge disappointment for us,” said East coach Joe Jackson, whose team didn’t make a free throw until the third period. “We ended up 7 for 21, that won’t get it done. You’re going into their place and Conner shot more free throws than we shoot as a team, and when we shoot 33 percent from the line and we put their best player to the line more than our whole team goes, it’s not going to be good for us.”
East (9-6, 7-4) made runs on North, jumping out to an 18-10 lead, thanks to four threes by sophomore Semajae Jones, who finished with 21 points.
And then Jones made three three-pointers after being fouled on a three attempt with 3:33 to go in the third, tying the score at 42-all.
East led after three when Nick Griffin hit a three-pointer to end the period. East still had opportunities late, getting a three apiece from JJ Normore, who had 14 points, and Jones.
But while North made 10 straight free throws in the final 1:48, East made 2 of 7 from the line in the final 2:14.
“It came down to free throws tonight,” Jackson said. “We beat them in almost every category in the stats but free throws. That hurts us.”