Staff Report
INDIANAPOLIS — A day after setting a new personal best during the IHSAA girls swimming and diving state finals inside the IU Natatorium, Greenfield-Central’s Norah Johnson was at it again.
Johnson entered Friday afternoon’s 100-yard breaststroke preliminary heats on the campus of IUPUI in Indianapolis seeded 15th overall.
She bested her seed time (1 minute, 5.07 seconds) during Friday’s preliminaries to finish seventh in her afternoon heat (1:04.90) to position herself 11th overall for Saturday.
During the state finals’ second day, Johnson cut her time down to 1:04.84, setting another personal best while placing 13th in the state.
The sophomore swimmer dominated the Hoosier Heritage Conference championships this season to win the 100 breaststroke in 1:05.66.
As a freshman, Johnson swam the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.13 during opening night at the state finals, failing to make the top-16 cut.
In her second state appearance, Johnson excelled to advance into Saturday’s consolation race and build upon her sectional championship in the same event at New Palestine the week prior.
Johnson was first at sectional in the 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke individually and was part of Greenfield-Central’s winning 200 medley and 400 free relays, which both competed at state on Friday.
During the 100 freestyle preliminaries at state on Friday, Johnson also improved on her seed time (53.88) for 11th in her heat, finishing in 53.58, which was another personal best.
Boys Basketball
Dragons fall in weekend finale
The New Palestine boys basketball team dropped a 53-41 decision Saturday at Connersville to cap the weekend.
The Dragons moved to 12-7 on the season with the loss to the Spartans, who are also 12-7.
The teams traded the lead several times in the opening half, with Blaine Nunnally’s five first-quarter points and a 3-pointer by Ian Stephens helping the Dragons build a 12-11 lead after eight minutes.
Steele Brasfield’s early 3-pointer gave New Palestine a 15-13 lead in the second, but Connersville answered. Matthew Brown scored two baskets later in the frame to forge a 19-all tie at halftime.
Brown scored the first three points of the second half — all from the line — to give New Palestine a 22-19 lead in the third quarter, but Connersville guard Tobey Billups led a run that allowed the Spartans to take a 34-28 lead after three. He scored eight of his game-high 20 points in the frame.
After the Spartans pushed the lead to double digits early in the fourth, the Dragons fought back to cut the deficit to 41-35 on baskets by Nunnally and Eli Stephens.
Connersville responded with back-to-back baskets to push its lead back to 10.
Nunnally led the Dragons with 14 points. Brown scored nine. Brasfield tallied seven points. Eli Stephens scored four, Ian Stephens three and Kyle Bastian and C.J. Oliver two each.
The Dragons (4-2 HHC) return to the court Friday at home against HHC rival Mt. Vernon (13-4), who currently leads the league at 5-0.
Cougars sweep back-to-back
The Greenfield-Central boys basketball team continued its winning ways Saturday, sweeping its back-to-back weekend by defeating host Western Boone, 70-54.
The Cougars knocked off Franklin County 56-53 on Friday night in overtime to snap a two-game losing streak. Greenfield-Central is now 12-8 on the season.
Against the Stars on Saturday, the Cougars used a strong second half to erase an early 20-9 deficit after the first quarter.
A 23-point second quarter by the Cougars tied the game 32-all by halftime before they charged ahead 53-46 after the third.
Class 4A Greenfield-Central outscored 2A Western Boone (4-13) in the fourth quarter 17-8 to complete their comeback victory.
Greenfield-Central was led in scoring by Gavin Robertson with 21 points. Dylan Moles had 20 points after posting 18 on Friday night.
Adam Lester finished with 13 points. Moles and Robertson each added four assists apiece, while Joey Roland lead the Cougars with eight rebounds.
The Cougars resume play on Saturday when they play host to Martinsville in their final home game of the season.
Royals drop third straight
The Eastern Hancock boys basketball team was looking to course correct on Saturday, but the host Heritage Christian Eagles had other plans.
The Eastern Hancock Royals erased an early 11-10 deficit and later a 22-18 halftime margin to tie the game 38-all at the end of regulation, but Heritage Christian escaped to win 48-42 in overtime.
The loss marked Eastern Hancock’s third straight after opening the season 9-0 and 13-1 before its recent string of setbacks. The Royals are now 13-4 on the season.
Royals junior Landon O’Neal paced the team with 15 points on 7 of 15 shooting to lead Eastern Hancock on Saturday. He finished with a 3-pointer, a team-high five rebounds and two assists.
Silas Spaulding had 13 points. Jacob Spaulding added nine points, followed by Cole Rainbolt with three and Edric Miller with two.
The Royals shot 5 of 22 from 3-point range, led by Silas Spaulding’s two treys. Silas Spaulding had four rebounds. Rainbolt hauled in three boards, and Miller tied O’Neal with a team-best five rebounds.
The Royals are scheduled to host Mid-Eastern Conference foe Union (Modoc) tonight at 7:30 p.m.
