Greenfield-Central’s Chaney Brown (12) puts up a shot in the lane over New Palestine’s Taylor Kelley (12) during their game at New Palestine on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021.
MUNCIE — The Greenfield-Central girls basketball team built an early lead and followed it up by putting together an even stronger second half to overwhelm Hoosier Heritage Conference foe Delta on Saturday, 49-32.
The visiting Cougars jumped out fast, establishing a 9-5 advantage after the first quarter and later led 18-14 by halftime.
In the second half, the Cougars erupted for 20 points in the third quarter and 31 points overall compared to Delta’s 18 to lock down their first HHC win on the season.
Greenfield-Central improved its season record to 2-9 and 1-3 in the conference.
Senior Annan Tiede and freshman Chaney Brown both powered the Cougars’ offense with team-highs of 16 points apiece. G-C frosh Brooklyn McConnell provided 14 points and junior Taylor Smith added three points.
The Cougars will look to keep the momentum going at Connersville tonight at 6 p.m. before heading to the two-day Bloom Bank Classic in Lebanon, beginning on Monday, Dec. 27 against the host Tigers at 10 a.m.
Dragons even up HHC record
The New Palestine girls basketball team used a fast start and a career-high 24-point game from Alaina Miller Saturday to beat HHC foe Yorktown, 60-39.
The Dragons improved to 8-5 overall and 3-3 in the conference with the road victory.
The Dragons raced to a 22-6 lead in the opening quarter, with Miller scoring eight points, including a 3-pointer. The Dragons never surrendered the lead from there.
Yorktown used a 21-point second quarter to cut the Dragons’ edge to 36-27 at the break. Miller scored seven and Isabella Gizzi five of the Dragons’ 14 points in the frame.
Miller kicked off the third quarter with a 3-pointer to push the Dragons’ lead to double-digits. She would hit a pair of baskets to push the lead to 49-33. The Dragons outscored the Tigers 11-6 in the final frame to seal the victory.
The Dragons held Yorktown to 12 points after halftime – the second time in three games the Dragons have held a team to 12 points or less in the second half.
Gizzi added 16 points. Rachel Kelley had eight points, Allie Blum six, Vivian Miller four and Taylor Kelley two.
The Dragons head to the Plainfield Holiday Tournament on Dec. 30. The Dragons will face Roncalli at 11:30 a.m. that day, with the consolation game scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and the championship game slated for 7 p.m. against either Greensburg or Plainfield.
Royals roll rival Panthers
The Class 2A eighth-ranked Eastern Hancock girls basketball team picked up its eighth-straight victory on Friday night with a dominating 62-12 victory over rival Knightstown.
The girls opened the evening’s boys-girls varsity doubleheader with a decisive 20-point first quarter. The Royals pushed the lead to 35-4 by halftime. Eastern Hancock didn’t score fewer than 12 points in any frame.
The win improved the Royals’ season record to 11-1. They are currently 4-0 in the Mid-Eastern Conference with their next league game tonight at Monroe Central at 7 p.m.
Against Knightstown, the Royals were led by a pair of double-digit scorers in Ruby White with 10 points and Sammie Bolding with 14.
White added six rebounds. Bolding had a team-high eight steals. Grace Stapleton had a team-best seven assists, and Mackenzie O’Neal grabbed a team-leading eight rebounds.
Grace Stapleton had nine points, three steals and five rebounds. Emma Bolding chipped in eight points and six rebounds. Caroline Stapleton added seven points, three rebounds and three steals. Ten different Royals scored two points or more.
Boys Basketball
Royals post weekend sweep
The Class 2A No. 14 Eastern Hancock Royals won their fourth straight game by completing the weekend sweep on Saturday.
The Royals swept Friday night’s boys-girls varsity doubleheader at home by defeating rival Knightstown 58-28, then followed up with a 64-29 victory at Cambridge City Lincoln on Saturday.
The Royals are now 5-1 on the season and 1-0 in the MEC with a road meeting at county foe Greenfield-Central on Dec. 28 up next.
Against Cambridge City Lincoln, Eastern Hancock led 8-4 after the first quarter before breaking away with a 23-point second and 22-point third.
Jacob Spaulding had a team-high 20 points. Landon O’Neal finished with 16 points, and Silas Spaulding added 12. Grant Gray and Cyrus Burton both contributed six points each.
The Royals converted 13 3-pointers overall with four credited to O’Neal, three to Silas Spaulding and two apiece for Jacob Spaulding, Gray and Burton.
Gray and Burton both hauled in five rebounds each. Silas Spaulding dished out six assists, while Jacob Spaulding and O’Neal each had three.
Against Knightstown, the Royals charged out to an 18-7 lead and never looked back.
O’Neal finished with a team-high 16 points. Silas Spaulding had 14. Jacob Spaulding followed with nine, and Edric Miller had seven. Grant Gray added six.
The Royals buried a combined 14 3-pointers with four going to Silas Spaudling and O’Neal. Gray had a pair in addition to a team-high six rebounds. Silas Spaulding had five assists.
Cougars split weekend
The Greenfield-Central boys basketball team prevailed 72-65 in overtime against HHC foe Yorktown Friday night before falling 50-47 at Lawrenceburg on Saturday.
The Cougars are now 4-3 on the season and 1-1 in the HHC.
Against Yorktown, the host Cougars trailed 33-23 at halftime, but they rallied back 39-33 after three quarters. In the fourth, G-C tied the game with a 22-point frame.
The Cougars outscored the visiting Tigers 17-10 in the bonus period to win.
G-C junior Dylan Moles scored a game-high 21 points on 6 of 13 shooting, including a team-high three 3-pointers. He also led the team with six assists.
Freshman Braylon Mullins had 15 points. Adam Lester added 11 points and both Joey Roland and Tyler Kerkhof finished with nine points apiece.
Moles went 6 of 8 from the free-throw line. Mullins was 5 of 7 as the Cougars shot 18 of 23 from the charity stripe.
Moles, Roland, Lester and Mullins each had five rebounds.
On the road at Lawrenceburg, the Cougars charged back from a 26-15 halftime deficit to cut the host’s lead to 38-31 after three frames. Lawrenceburg escaped by outscoring the Cougars 16-12 in the fourth.
Mullins paced the Cougars with 17 points. Moles had 12 and Rashawn Street added nine.
Mullins went 7 of 15 from the field and was 3-for-8 from 3-point range. He posted a team-high six rebounds with three steals.
The Cougars travel to Connersville tonight for a boys-girls varsity doubleheader.
Dragons bounce back fast
The New Palestine boys basketball team lost at HHC foe New Castle, 48-37, Friday night but bounced back quickly with a 57-56 overtime victory at Franklin Central on Saturday.
Saturday’s thrilling victory gives the Dragons a 4-2 record going into the Christmas break.
Steele Brasfield scored 28 points to lead the Dragons. Ian Stephens added 13.
Brasfield hit an early basket in OT, then drew back-to-back fouls, giving the Dragons a 47-43 lead. He hit four straight free throws and added another hoop to score the Dragons’ first eight points of the extra session, before Damon Hockett went 6 of 8 from the line in the extra session.
FC hit a late 3-pointer to cut the lead to one, but the Dragons were able to run out the clock.
In addition to the two double-figure scorers, Hockett added a career-high nine points. Strong tallied three points. Bryant Nunnally and Eian Roudebush scored two points each.
The Dragons fell behind early and were unable to rally Friday in their loss at New Castle.
Playing without starting guard Blaine Nunnally, the Dragons were in a two-possession game much of the night, but were unable to overcome the early deficit. Steele Brasfield led the Dragons, scoring 19 of the team’s 37 points.
Ian Stephens scored nine and Bryant Nunnally five. Damon Hockett and Eian Roudebush tallied two points each. Roudebush earned his first career varsity start.
The Dragons are next in action Dec. 28-29 at the Lebanon Holiday Tournament. They open at 7 p.m. Dec. 28 against Indianapolis Metropolitan.
Wrestling
Dragons win invite title
The New Palestine wrestling team won the New Palestine Triple-Dual Saturday, beating Triton Central 57-12 and Greenfield-Central 53-21.
Nine Dragons went undefeated on the day.
The Dragons opened the day with the victory over Triton Central. Jacob Tweedy (195 pounds), Juan Camacho (220), Porter May (285), Cole Vandygriff (106), Bryce Doss (113), Cooper Trimpe (120), Dylan Alfrey (126), Connor Schatz (132), Elijah Alonso (138), Ethan Sleeth (145), Isaac Poetz (152) and Jaedyn Jeffries (160) all won for the Dragons.
The Dragons then followed with a 53-21 victory over Greenfield-Central. Camacho, Vandygriff, Doss, Chris Bullock (120), Schatz, Sleeth, Jeffries and Tweedy all won their matches.
The Dragons improved to 6-8 on the season in dual matches. They next compete in the Connersville Spartan Classic Dec. 28-29.
