Staff reports
CONNERSVILLE — The Greenfield-Central basketball teams trekked to Connersville for a boys and girls doubleheader on Tuesday night.
The girls opened the weeknight non-conference showdown with a 61-28 thumping of the host Spartans. The Greenfield-Central boys lost 47-40.
The loss dropped the boys team to 5-2 on the season and halted the Class 4A Cougars winning ways after toppling Hoosier Heritage Conference foe 3A Yorktown, 62-30, last Friday.
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Coach Michael Lewis’ group opened the year 4-0 for the first time since 1997-98 before losing to 2A Broad Ripple, 57-45, on Dec. 16.
They will look to bounce back at the South Ripley Tournament, beginning on Tuesday. The Cougars play South Dearborn at 2:30 p.m. If they win, they will advance into the semifinals at 8:30 p.m. If they lose the opening-round game, they compete in the consolation at 7 p.m.
Games for seventh, fifth and third place along with the championship at 8 p.m. will take place on Wednesday, starting at 2 p.m.
The victory for the Greenfield-Central girls pushed their season record to 9-3 overall and marked the squad’s fourth straight win.
The Cougars haven’t lost since dropping back-to-back one-point losses to 4A Pike, 53-52, and 4A Hamilton Southeastern, 43-42, on Nov. 28 and Dec. 5, respectively.
Greenfield-Central wasted no time securing the win on Tuesday behind a 25-point second quarter, which erased a 10-8 deficit after the first frame.
Madison Wise scored a team-high 25 points, shooting 12 of 18 from the field and 1-for-3 from 3-point range. She posted a double-double by hauling in 10 rebounds while adding four assists and five steals.
Katie Helgason had 20 points, five assists and four steals. She converted 7 of 13 attempts from the field and was nearly unstoppable from beyond the arc. The junior buried 4 of 5 jumpers from 3-point range.
The Cougars host the Laker Farm Implement Service, Inc./Riley Park Tire Tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday. Greenfield-Central kicks off the eight-team tournament against Richmond at 10 a.m. on the first day.
Consolation games are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday night with the semifinals and placement games set for Wednesday, beginning at 10 a.m.
