The Eastern Hancock girls basketball team ended the 2020-21 regular-season exactly how it started by winning big at home on Saturday.
The host Royals jumped out to a 26-13 halftime lead over Mid-Eastern Conference foe Monroe Central en route to a decisive 51-23 victory.
The program’s third consecutive win improved Eastern Hancock’s season record to 13-8 and 6-2 in the MEC, which ranked them third in the league.
Sophomore Grace Stapleton led the Royals with a team-high 13 points on 4 of 11 shooting overall while adding a pair of 3-pointers, eight assists, four rebounds and five steals.
EH senior Delaney Collins had eight points and five rebounds. Freshman Sammie Bolding finished with seven points, three rebounds and three assists. Caroline Stapleton had nine points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals.
Royals’ senior Chloe O’Neal added five points, four steals and four rebounds. Sophomore Emma Bolding had six points with six rebounds. Freshman Ruby White chipped in three points with three rebounds.
Next up, the Class 2A Royals travel to host Triton Central on Friday to open the Sectional 42 tournament.
Cougars withdraw from state tourney
The Greenfield-Central girls basketball team officially withdrew from the IHSAA state tournament series this weekend due to COVID-19 protocols.
The announcement was made public Saturday evening via social media, stating the following:
“Due to COVID-19 Protocols, the GCHS women’s basketball team has been forced to withdraw from this week’s IHSAA tournament. This is not how anyone wanted the season to end, but we appreciate everyone’s diligence and hard work to get to this point. A special thank you to the seniors for their time and dedication to the program.”
The Cougars were scheduled to compete in the Class 4A Sectional 9 quarterfinals on Wednesday against host Muncie Central. Due to their inability to participate, the tournament’s format has changed, eliminating all games for Wednesday evening.
Muncie Central now earns an automatic berth into Friday’s sectional semifinals and will face the winner between New Palestine and Anderson, a contest that was moved from Wednesday to tonight at 8 p.m.
Mt. Vernon and Pendleton Heights will play at 6:30 p.m. tonight. Originally, the two teams were set to tip at 7 p.m. The winner will face Richmond, who received the tournament’s first-round bye.
Greenfield-Central ends the 2020-21 season with a 5-13 record.
Boys Basketball
Marauders take lead in HHC race
The Mt. Vernon boys basketball team won its third straight game with a 52-46 overtime victory at Hoosier Heritage Conference foe Delta on Saturday.
More importantly, the Marauders also distanced themselves in the HHC championship race.
The Marauders are now 11-3 on the season and 5-0 in the conference ahead of Delta (3-1 HHC) and both New Palestine (3-2 HHC) and Shelbyville (3-2 HHC).
Mt. Vernon defeated Delta behind a trio of double-digit scorers. Armon Jarrard led the group with a double-double, hauling in 11 rebounds with 13 points on 4 of 9 shooting. He finished 5-for-6 from the free-throw line while adding two assists and two steals.
Both Amhad Jarrard and Cooper Galli had 10 points apiece. Razhaun Wells added eight points. Drew Walker finished with five points and Avery Williams Jr. had four.
Amhad Jarrard recorded five of the Marauders’ nine steals in the game.
The Marauders have won seven of their past eight games and continue their four-game road schedule at Noblesville on Saturday, followed by trips to Mooresville on Feb. 9 and Brebeuf Jesuit on Feb. 12 before returning home on Feb. 13 against Beech Grove.
Cougars win fourth straight
The Greenfield-Central boys basketball team won its fourth straight game on Saturday night, defeating host Richmond 45-38 to sweep its back-to-back weekend.
The Cougars beat HHC foe Pendleton Heights, 66-63, on Friday night at home prior to traveling to Richmond. Both wins improve Greenfield-Central’s season record to 10-6 and 3-3 in the HHC.
The Cougars were led in scoring by Dylan Moles with 13 points on Saturday night. Gavin Robertson had 10 points.
The Greenfield-Central defense limited all Red Devils’ players to single-digit points. The Cougars turned a 21-all tie at halftime into a seven-point margin in the second half, outscoring Richmond 12-6 in the fourth quarter.
The Cougars host HHC foe Delta on Thursday night.
Royals sweep through weekend
The Eastern Hancock boys basketball team swept through its back-to-back weekend with a 71-59 victory over Union County on Saturday.
The win improved the Royals’ season record to 11-1 overall, marking the team’s second straight victory since losing to rival Shenandoah on Jan. 23.
The Royals trailed 21-15 in the first quarter against Union County before tying the contest at 35-all by halftime. A 22-point third quarter put the Royals in control during the second half.
EH junior Landon O’Neal led the Royals with a team-high 27 points on 11 of 17 shooting. O’Neal went 4-for-5 from the foul line and hauled in eight rebounds. His point total gave him 804 in his career, which ranks him 12th all-time in program history ahead of Adam Barton and Jobie Whitaker.
Drew White and Jacob Spaulding had 13 points each, and Silas Spaulding added eight points. Edric Miller had four points, followed by Zach Arnold and Cameron Wise with three points apiece.
Cole Rainbolt collected seven rebounds. White had five and Miller and Silas Spaulding grabbed three each.
The Royals return to the court on Thursday when they host Tri, followed by a road trip to MEC foe Cowan on Saturday.
