Greenfield-Central’s Adam Lester and Joey Roland battle underneath during their game against Pendleton Heights on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. (Tom Russo/Daily Reporter)
PENDLETON — For the biggest points of the game, Pendleton Heights went to the biggest player on the floor.
Arabian 6-foot-7 sophomore Josiah Gustin scored the go-ahead basket with 1:03 in overtime in the home team’s 54-50 victory over Greenfield-Central Friday.
Gustin had 18 of his career-best 20 points in the second half. He scored on a pass from Luke Candiano to put Pendleton Heights ahead 52-50. Senior teammate Jamison Dunham added a pair of free throws with 16 seconds left for the final margin.
For the third straight year the battle of Hoosier Heritage Conference rivals went down to the wire.
A year ago at G-C, the Cougars won 66-63. In 2020, at PH, the Arabians won 42-41.
Tight games are nothing new to the Cougars, and not just when they play their neighboring rivals. It was their third HHC overtime game this season. They beat Yorktown, at home on Dec. 17, 72-65, and lost to Mt. Vernon, at home, Jan. 7, 60-59.
The loss drops Greenfield-Central under .500 both overall (6-7) and in the conference (2-3). Five of its seven losses have been by four points or less.
All three of the Cougar league losses have been by four points or less. They lost a tight, 47-43, decision at New Palestine on Dec. 10.
“Heartbreak,” Greenfield-Central coach Luke Meredith said after suffering another tough loss on Friday. “I’m just disappointed for our guys. For me, and my fear of failure is just letting the guys down. I really firmly believe, when we all click and I don’t know when it’s going to happen, hopefully sooner rather than later. We’re going to get there.
“We’re going to be a problem. We just haven’t figured out how to do it all in one night.”
The Cougars battled adversity throughout the night. Leading scorer Dylan Moles spent most of the first half on the bench in foul trouble. Both Joey Roland and Tyler Kerkhof picked up the slack to get the Cougars a 20-14 halftime lead.
Moles bounced back to lead the Cougars in scoring with 15 points, 12 in the second half. Kerkhof followed with 14, including a pair of overtime 3-pointers.
In regulation, Gustin scored off an in-bounds pass to put Pendleton Heights up 43-40 with just 14 seconds to go.
Greenfield-Central forced the extra period on a 3-pointer from Braylon Mullins. The freshman had been having a tough-shooting night, but it drilled the shot when the Cougars needed it to force overtime.
To start the extra session, from nearly the same spot Mullins tied the game, Kirkhof hit a trey to give the Cougars a 46-43 lead. Dunham answered on the other end to tie it again.
Gustin added another go-ahead bucket to put the Arabians up again, 48-46. They went up 50-47 after two Dunham freebies.
The Cougars put the pressure back on the Arabians when Kerkhof hit his second 3 of the extra session with only 1:20 remaining on the clock.
Dunham led all scorers with 22 points. Gustin was 9-for-12 from the field and had nine rebounds and two blocked shots. Candiano had nine assists.
Rune Carpenter-Jones led G-C rebounders with six. Kerkhof also had five steals.
The Cougars led much of the second and third quarter. When Kerkhof scored and added a free throw, G-C went up 29-19 with 4:10 remaining in the third period.
Pendleton Heights finished the third on a 12-2 run. After an offensive rebound, Arabian sophomore Brayden Kanitz scored to tie the game 31-31.
“We were doing a great job defensively, but not a good job offensively,” Pendleton Heights coach Adam Ballard said. “(Greenfield-Central) hit some tough shots tonight.
“(Josiah) is so talented and a such a natural basketball player. He’s still just a 15-year old kid. He’s progressed and is understanding he can be a catalyst on this team. When he asserts himself, he makes everyone else better.”
Moles was called for his third foul with 6:11 remaining in the first half. Roland picked up the offense for the Cougars, scoring five of the team’s 10 second-quarter points. He led the G-C at the break with eight.
Neither team scored in the second quarter until the 3:41 mark. Kerkhof hit a 3-pointer to give G-C a 13-11 lead.
Pendleton Heights scored just three second-quarter points. Dunham hit a 3 with just 25 seconds left in the period to cut G-C’s advantage to 18-14. Roland added the final points of the half for a 20-14 Cougar lead.
After Greenfield-Central jumped out to a 6-2 lead, Pendleton Heights scored the next seven points. Tied 6-6, Dunham hit a 3-pointer to give the hosts a 9-6 lead.
G-C’s Roland followed with a dunk, then Kerkhof, after a turnover and assist from Rashawn Street, scored to put the Cougars up 10-9.
Right before the first-quarter buzzer, Pendleton Heights regained the lead on a bucket from Gustin.
The Cougars are right back at it this morning playing in the Muncie City of Champions Invitational at Muncie Fieldhouse. Greenfield-Central plays South Bend Adams at noon and will play either Muncie Central or Muncie Burris in the consolation or championship game later this evening. The consolation game is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the title contest at 8 p.m.
Pendleton Heights improved to 4-11 overall and 2-3 in the HHC.
The Arabians are on the road tonight at Hamilton Southeastern.
Pendleton Heights 54, Greenfield-Central 50, OT
Greenfield-Central;10;10;11;12;7;—;50
Pendleton Heights;11;3;17;12;11;—;54
Greenfield-Central (6-7, 2-3 HHC): Owen Anderson 0 0-0 0, Dylan Moles 7 0-0 15, Rashawn Street 1 0-0 2, Joey Roland 2 5-7 9, Tyler Kerkhof 5 1-1 14, Adam Lester 0 2-2 2, Braylon Mullins 2 0-0 5, Rune Carpenter-Jones 1 1-2 3. Totals: 18 9-12 50.
Pendleton Heights (4-11, 2-3 HHC): Jamison Dunham 6 6-6 22, Nolan Souders 0 0-0 0, Caden Sims 0 0-0 0, Luke Candiano 0 3-4 3, Aaron Cookston 0 0-0 0, Brayden Kanitz 1 3-4 5, Ethan Ross 2 0-0 4, Josiah Gustin 9 2-2 2
0. Totals: 18 14-16 54.
3-point goals: Greenfield-Central 5 (Kerkhof 3, Moles, Mullins); Pendleton Heights 4 (Dunham 4)
