Colin Masten breaks out of slump, leads Franklin Regional past Latrobe
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Tuesday, January 9, 2024 | 10:12 PM
Franklin Regional’s Colin Masten battles Latrobe’s Max Butler for a rebound during their game on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Franklin Regional’s Colin Masten drives past Latrobe’s JaTawn Williams to score during the fourth quarter on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Franklin Regional’s Colin Masten celebrates after scoring next to Latrobe’s Max Butler during their game on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Franklin Regional’s Cam Rowell scores past Latrobe’s JaTawn Williams during the fourth quarter on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Franklin Regional’s Colin Masten (1) celebrates with Cam Rowell after defeating Latrobe, 66-64, on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Franklin Regional’s Fin Hutchison drives past Latrobe’s Ian DeCerb during their game on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Franklin Regional’s Colin Masten (1) celebrates with Cam Rowell after defeating Latrobe, 66-64, on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Latrobe’s Max Butler drives against Franklin Regional’s Cooper Rankin during their game on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Franklin Regional’s Colin Masten scores past Latrobe’s Max Butler during the fourth quarter on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Franklin Regional’s Connor Crossey celebrates after hitting a three-pointer against Latrobe on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Franklin Regional’s Cooper Rankin scores against Latrobe on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Franklin Regional’s Colin Masten (1) celebrates with Cam Rowell after defeating Latrobe, 66-64, on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Franklin Regional’s Cam Rowell drives past Latrobe’s Max Butler during their game on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Latrobe’s John Wetzel leads a fast break against Franklin Regional on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Franklin Regional’s Colin Masten drives past Latrobe’s JaTawn Williams to score during the fourth quarter on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Franklin Regional’s Cam Rowell scores against Latrobe’s Max Butler during their game Tuesday.
Franklin Regional’s Cooper Rankin scores against Latrobe on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Latrobe’s John Wetzel drives against Franklin Regional’s Cam Rowell during their game on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Franklin Regional’s Colin Masten (1) celebrates with Connor Crossey and Cam Rowell after defeating Latrobe, 66-64, on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Murrysville.
Colin Masten said he had been in a mini-slump of late. In basketball terms, that means he wasn’t making shots or producing much on the offensive end.
“I didn’t play great,” he said.
The Franklin Regional senior swingman, who was the team’s sixth man last year, picked a good time to snap out of it.
“Tonight, I was ready to rock,” Masten said after scoring a career-high 23 points in a 66-64 victory over visiting Latrobe in a back-and-forth Section 3-5A game Tuesday night in Murrysville.
So maybe there’s more to these Panthers than seniors Cam Rowell and Cooper Rankin. Rankin said it’s time to give Masten his props.
“He was great tonight,” Franklin Regional coach Jesse Reed said of Masten. “He can space it and shoot it. He gives us another finisher.”
The fourth-ranked Panthers (11-1, 3-0) stretched their winning streak to six as Rowell added 19 points.
The game saw 10 lead changes as the teams traded fast-break baskets.
If you looked down, you might have missed a layup.
The Panthers’ only loss remains a 63-60 setback against Butler, the No. 2 team in 6A.
Masten said he was a role player last year. But now he is helping the Panthers push deeper into the best-teams-in-5A talk.
“My job was to get out and finish,” Masten said. “Cooper set up most of my points. I owe it to him.”
Latrobe (6-6, 2-1), playing just its fifth game this season against WPIAL competition, took a 58-51 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer from junior guard John Wetzel, who had 22 points, including 11 in the third, and made three 3-pointers. Junior Max Butler led with 23, including four 3s.
But the Wildcats only managed six points the rest of the quarter, with Butler hitting a 3 just before the final buzzer.
Franklin Regional knew a track meet was possible against the Wildcats, who love to play fast.
“Latrobe had us playing their game. They sped us up,” Reed said. “They get up and down. I am proud of our composure and our senior leadership. They get up and down. It wasn’t until the last four minutes until we finally played our brand of ball.”
Masten made a pair of putbacks to bookend an 8-0 run early in the fourth, with the second one giving the Panthers a 59-58 lead.
Junior Kyle McNeil made a layup off a feed from Butler to put the Wildcats back in front 60-59, but only briefly.
Rowell made it 61-60, and Butler tied it 61-all with a free throw with 2:28 left.
Rowell came up with a steal, and Masten finished with a layup to give the Panthers a 63-61 edge with a minute to go.
Masten had seven in the fourth.
Latrobe had a couple of fouls to give and sent the Panthers to the foul line.
Rankin made his two attempts with 17.2 seconds left, and Masten grabbed a rebound on a 3-point miss by Wetzel.
Masten then made 1 of 2 foul shots to make it 66-61 with 5.3 seconds left.
The third quarter was the fastest as Latrobe outscored the Panthers, 24-19. But the lead never got above five. The Wildcats led the entire quarter.
Asked if the game played out like he expected, Latrobe coach Brad Wetzel said, “No, we expected to win.”
“There were some possessions where we came up empty,” Wetzel said. “And there were some where they didn’t. Our kids were ready to come in here and fight, and they did. (Masten) was a difference-maker for them. He gets to the rim and gets a lot of second-chance stuff.”
Latrobe, which recently clipped Kiski Area, 69-59, in section play, had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Franklin Regional, Latrobe
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