Greenfield-Central’s Dylan Moles scores during their game against Pendleton Heights on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022.
MUNCIE — The Greenfield-Central boys basketball team turned the page quickly this past weekend.
After falling, 54-50, in overtime against Hoosier Heritage Conference rival Pendleton Heights on Friday, the Cougars rolled for consecutive victories Saturday to win the City of Champions Tournament at Muncie Fieldhouse.
Greenfield-Central defeated South Bend Adams 63-48 to open the tournament and then beat host Muncie Central, 50-32, to claim the tournament championship.
The Cougars improved to 8-7 on the season following their tournament sweep.
G-C junior Dylan Moles was the team’s leading scorer against South Bend Adams, finishing with 26 points on 8 of 16 shooting, including a trio of 3-pointers.
Moles went a flawless 7-for-7 from the free-throw line and hauled in four rebounds with four assists and three steals.
Cougars’ freshman Braylon Mullins had 16 points and buried four 3-pointers. Greenfield-Central went 10 of 25 from long range.
Tyler Kerkhof added seven points, five assists and four steals. Adam Lester had five points and three rebounds. Rune Carpenter-Jones contributed five points with two assists. Joey Roland chipped in four points and four rebounds.
In the tournament title game, the Cougars trailed 10-6 after the first quarter and deadlocked the score 16-all by halftime.
In the second half, the Cougars erupted for 34 points compared to the host Bearcats’ 16.
Moles, once again, led the Cougars in scoring, finishing with a game-high 18 points. The G-C guard shot 6 of 13 from the field, went 7 of 11 from the foul line and added six rebounds, three assists and six steals.
Mullins had 11 points, nine rebounds and two assists.
Roland provided eight points, three rebounds and two steals. Rashawn Street had seven points with four steals. Lester added four points.
Boys Basketball
Dragons win fifth straight
The New Palestine boys basketball team held off a late rally Friday to beat host Yorktown, 51-48, and win its fifth straight game.
The Dragons led by nine in the final two minutes, but Yorktown rallied and had a shot to tie at the buzzer, which the Dragons defended to preserve the victory.
The Dragons are now 12-4 on the season and 4-1 in Hoosier Heritage Conference play with two league games remaining this season.
Steele Brasfield led the Dragons with 18 points. Ian Stephens added 12.
The Dragons raced to an early lead, with four quick points from Ben Slagley and a 3-pointer from Ian Stephens giving the Dragons a 12-6 edge after a period. Yorktown cut the lead to five, but the Dragons finished the second frame on an 8-2 run to take a 26-15 lead into halftime.
The Dragons had strong balance in the third, staving off Yorktown’s surge that cut the lead to 41-34 going into the final frame.
The two teams scored only two points each in the first half of the fourth quarter. Baskets by Brasfield and Blaine Nunnally pushed the lead to 47-38 with two minutes left.
Yorktown’s Carter Loveless hit four free throws – sandwiched around made free throws by Bryant and Blaine Nunnally – to cut the lead to 49-40. But the Tigers’ Jacob Grim hit a 3-pointer – and then was fouled on another 3-point attempt and hit all three free throws. Those sandwiched around two free throws by Stephens to give the Dragons a 51-46 edge. Loveless hit another shot to cut the lead to 51-48 and two missed free throws gave the Tigers the ball back with a chance to tie, but solid defense on the final possession prevented a clean look.
In addition to the two double-figure scorers, Slagley scored seven points, Bryant Nunnally five, Blaine Nunnally four, Jaret Whitaker three and Eian Roudebush two.
Swimming & Diving
Dragons splits with Greenwood, Roncalli
The New Palestine boys swimming and diving team split a triangular meet Monday, beating Roncalli 74-27 but falling to Greenwood 57.5-43.5.
Three Dragons posted individual event wins. Ben Miesse won the 50-yard freestyle in 24.60 seconds. Aidan Stephens won diving with a score of 167.60. Aidan Kingery won the 100 breaststroke in 1:10.53.
Finishing second were Dontae Thompson in the 50 free, Daxton Gibson in diving, Eli Kleine in the 100 free and James Watson in the 500 free. The 200 medley relay team of Dawson Lynch, Kingery, Liam Fuller and Thompson was the meet runner-up. Quincy Shirk, Kleine, Chase Martin and Miesse were second in the 200 free relay. Lynch, Ashton Turner, Fuller and Thompson were second in the 400 free relay.
Individuals placing third were Karter McNeil in the 200 free, Watson in the 200 IM and Shirk in the 100 backstroke.
The Dragons are now 9-3 on the season.
Gymnastics
Dragons fall to Roncalli
The New Palestine gymnastics team competed Thursday at home against Roncalli. The Dragons dropped a 97.55-96.975 decision to the Royals.
Addyson Kendall won the all-around with a score of 33.5. Chiara Polo was sixth (28.425).
Kendall won the balance beam with a score of 8.975. Kennedy Garrett was second (8.625) and J.J. Fee fourth (8.35).
Fee won the floor exercise (8.7). Kendall was second (8.45) and Polo sixth (6.9).
Kendall was second on uneven bars (8.375). On vault, Polo was third (8.35) and Emily Hunter sixth (8.15).
