YORKTOWN — The Greenfield-Central Cougars watched their lead slip away late Friday night, but they never lost sight of victory.
The Cougars outscored the host Yorktown Tigers 9-3 in overtime after regulation ended tied 41-all to win 50-44.
The triumph pushes the Class 4A Cougars back to .500 at 3-3 on the season and moves them to 2-0 in the Hoosier Heritage Conference.
Yorktown entered the game with a 9-8 series lead in the past 30 years after losing to Greenfield-Central 62-30 last year.
A team-high 15 points by Matt Turner and 13 points from Will O’Conner helped the Cougars win their third straight against the Tigers (1-5).
Greenfield-Central led after each of the first three quarters, including 23-16 at halftime. Turner led the team with 12 points through 16 minutes.
The Cougars’ advantage stood at 35-27 after three quarters, but the Tigers rallied back with a 14-point frame as Greenfield-Central posted six points to force overtime.
O’Conner came to life in bonus period, however, knocking down a 3-pointer and scoring four points. Brian Long had nine points for the Cougars.
Turner hit five 3-pointers while O’Conner buried four. Drey Jameson had eight points and went 2-for-2 from the free-throw line — with both falling through in overtime.
“We must learn how to execute down the stretch of games, especially on the road,” Greenfield-Central head coach Michael Lewis said. “But I thought our kids gained some valuable experience and showed great resiliency in finding a way to win.”
The Cougars host 4A Connersville on Tuesday night before heading to the South Ripley Tournament on Thursday.
