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Bennett excited the home fans with his dunk in the first five seconds, and Jake Day followed with a basket for a 4-0 lead 15 seconds into the contest.
A three-pointer by Roper put the Mustangs ahead for the last time at 7-5 with 5:57 on the clock.
Craig Younce scored the next five points putting the Panthers up 10-7 at the 5:07 mark, and they never trailed after that.
SM fought back for a 16-16 tie when Lance Gabbard scored with 57 seconds left in the period.
Josh Scarver countered with a three-pointer 10 seconds later, and Franklin was on top 19-16 at the quarter break.
VanHook and Hendrix drilled consecutive treys giving the Panthers the lead for good, 25-19, with 6:16 to play in the half.
The margin reached 38-25 on Scarver's three-pointer with 3:20 on the clock. Franklin led 40-28 at intermission.
Roper hit a trey to start the scoring in the second half, but the Mustangs were unable to put a run together.
The Panthers pushed their lead to 49-36 on Younce's three-pointer with 3:59 left in the period.
SM came as close as 49-41 on Gabbard's inside basket with 1:01 to go in the quarter, which ended with Franklin leading 51-41.
A three-pointer by Scarver put the Panthers up 58-41 with 5:59 on the clock.
Roper hit back-to-back three-pointers narrowing the gap to 58-48 at the 4:35 mark.
An 8-1 run, including four by VanHook, extended the margin to 66-49 with 1:54 on the clock. The final represented the game's largest margin.
Bennett and Ritchie both claimed seven rebounds.
Bennett's points came on four field goals and three free throws.
Gabbard finished with eight points, Ritchie netted six, Jared Day followed with five, Landon Farley scored three, and Jake Day and Kyle Clayton both had two.
Franklin won the JV game 52-44. Michael Ayers scored 10 points for SM (10-4).
The Panthers led at quarter breaks by scores of 13-10, 27-21 and 36-28.
"We cut it to two in the fourth quarter and had the ball," Coach Jimmy Roper said. "They hit their foul shots."
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