The temperature was in the teens Tuesday outside Franklin Regional’s gymnasium, but the cold weather did not stop the Panthers.

They came out red hot in the first quarter, and they needed it.

Franklin Regional (11-4, 7-2) raced to a 15-point lead in the second quarter and then held on for a 55-52 victory against McKeesport (8-7, 5-4) in Section 1-5A action.

The win sets up a first-place showdown Friday at Gateway.

Franklin Regional drained seven 3-pointers in the first quarter and built a 23-11 lead. The lead stretched to 30-15 in the second quarter.

“Lamont Perkins hurt his ankle the game before, and we did not know if he could go,” McKeesport coach Dan DeRose said. “So, I figured we had to play zone to protect him, and it changed our style, threw us off.

“I did not like the way he had to start. It was too late, and they did not miss. It was sad because we could not put the pressure on them like we usually do.”

Six Panthers hit 3-pointers in the first quarter. They went on a 15-4 run to push the lead to 23-8 before Brian Jones hit a 3-pointer before the end of the quarter. Jones had three 3-pointers in the first quarter and finished with 15 points.

“We shot the ball well early, and it is tough to shoot at that intensity the entire game,” Franklin Regional coach Jesse Reed said. “We got good looks later. They just did not fall. That is the game of basketball. It is hard to maintain that shooting for 32 minutes.

“I was happy with the guys for competing and battling. As long as we do that, we will give our team a chance to win.”

Franklin Regional never trailed. There was one tie, and that was 3-3.

Webber Rankin and Logan Walter led the Panthers with 13 points each.

McKeesport kept chipping away and got within two points twice, but Oliver Leven hit clutch free throws to preserve the win.

McKeesport’s pressure defense gave Franklin Regional problems in the fourth quarter.

“We never should have been in that position,” DeRose said. “We kept battling, but we never caught them.

“This section is a grind. I like it because it keeps everyone focused. It makes every game a dog fight.”

The Panthers moved the ball quickly against the McKeesport zone, which led to wide-open shots.

“I feel we are getting that competitive level coming down the stretch,” Reed said.

“Our level is getting to where it needs to be. We were able to execute and get the win. We made enough plays late to win the game.”