Facing an opponent his team beat by 30 in the regular-season finale and coming off a nine-day break, Franklin coach Brian Bales was concerned about the potential for a letdown. And during several stages of their playoff opener, the Wildcats did appear a bit rusty. Combined with a gritty effort by Carroll, it made for a closer-than-expected contest that eventually became scary for the No. 2 seed.

But Franklin overcame a frenzied Patriots rally, sophomore Luke Kennard posted another big offensive performance and the Wildcats escaped with a 66-61 victory Monday at Trent Arena, advancing the a Southwest District Division II semifinal meeting with third-seeded Dunbar Thursday evening.

“We knew Carroll was going to fight,” Bales said. “I thought our guys were really sluggish, especially early. But I was really proud of our guys in the second half. They chipped away, but we kept responding.”

Franklin (19-3) was on the verge of blowing the game open late in the third quarter, taking a 14-point lead on a layup by Kennard (game-high 25 points). The heralded 6-foot-5 forward was an inside-out mismatch for Carroll, just as he’s been for many opponents in compiling a 27.9-point per game average.

“It’s unbelievable. To get the opportunity to play with him, it’s been awesome,” said senior point guard Travis Lakins, who along with Kennard were the two returning starters from last year’s sectional finalist team.

Feisty Carroll (11-13) never quit, using a combination of 3-pointers and free throws to hang within striking range. The Patriots threw a scare into Franklin late when, trailing by nine, sophomore David Ivey made a 3-pointer, then stole the ensuing inbounds pass and made a layup. Xander Smart then converted another steal into a layup, and suddenly, in the span of 15 seconds, a nine-point lead was trimmed to two with 67 seconds remaining.

“We don’t hit the panic button. That’s how our team is. I think this will help us for the next game,” Kennard said.

With 12.8 seconds left, Lakins (21 points) calmly knocked down a pair of free throws to put the game away and send Franklin on to the next round. It was fitting, Bales said, that Lakins sealed the win on a night when he passed the 1,000-point mark for his career.