By Brady Extin| Daily Reporter

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NEW CASTLE – For the first time since the 2014-15 season, the Greenfield-Central boys’ basketball team beat New Castle the home team’s historic gymnasium.

Behind well-rounded play on both ends of the floor, the Cougars defeated the Trojans 73-48.

“I know in the last 30 years, it was 30-6 New Castle,” Greenfield-Central head coach Luke Meredith said. “We haven’t beat them at their place in a while, so to come in here tonight and play the way that we did, I’m just incredibly proud of all our guys.”

New Castle’s Chrysler Fieldhouse is the nation’s largest high school gym, seating 8,424.

The Cougars last win over the Trojans in New Castle was a 63-54 decision on Jan. 16, 2015.

An Owen Anderson 3-pointer to beat the first-quarter buzzer gave the Cougars an 11-8 lead, and they never let the Trojans get any closer.

Making that happen was a great defensive effort led by Braylon Mullins.

At the top of the Cougars’ 1-3-1 zone, the 6-foot-4 guard’s length caused issues for the New Castle ball handlers all night long.

“I just thought that New Castle had their big three. We talked about (Gavin) Welch, (Colin) Taylor, and (Ethan) Hinton. I know that coach (Daniel) Cox being the reigning (Hoosier Heritage) Conference Coach of the Year, that he was going to be ready for our 2-3 zone, so we tried to mix it up a bit,” Meredith said “Braylon is such a catalyst for our defense. He’s long and lengthy, and gets a ton of deflections, so even if he doesn’t come up with a steal, just making them throw it over the top messes up their timing. Braylon has done an incredible job all year at the top of our 2-3, and then the same tonight at the top of our 1-3-1 zone.”

Two of the Trojans’ big three found some success, but neither clicked at the same time.

Hinton led the Trojans’ offense in the first half, scoring 13 of his team-high 17 points. In the second half, Taylor scored 13 of his 16 points and knocked down three 3-pointers.

But while those two found the basket, the Cougars were able to limit maybe the most important Trojan — Welch.

The Trojans’ leading scorer, averaging 17.6 points per game coming into the night, was limited to just one basket, a 3-pointer late in the third quarter.

While only two of the big three for New Castle found success, each member of the G-C big three thrived.

The Cougars’ top three scorers, Dylan Moles, Mullins, and Tyler Kerkhof, all scored in double figures.

Moles led the Cougars with 19, Kerkhof added 17, and Mullins had 13.

The trio knocked down seven of the Cougars’ eight 3-pointers.

Kerkhof and Mullins hit three, and Moles hit one.

“That’s just who we want to be. We talk about one more, we talk about driveway threes, hitting shots, and sticking shots. To be able to play that way in the fieldhouse is great,” Meredith said. “I thought we played hard. With that kind of balance offensively, and our kids being able to be unselfish, and play the way we did, I’m just very proud to be their coach.”

That unselfishness was the catalyst behind their 73-point performance. It showed early on.

While New Castle had just one lone scorer in the opening quarter, the Cougars had five.

And along with Moles, Mullins, and Kerkhof, four more Cougars found the basket by the end of the game.

Anderson had eight, Jacob Hinton had six, Will DeJarnett had six, and Braden Robertson had four.

Greenfield-Central’s next game is tonight on the road at 7:30 against Hancock County rival Eastern Hancock.

Greenfield-Central 73, New Castle 48

Greenfield-Central;11;18;22;22;-;73

New Castle;8;10;14;16;-;48

Greenfield-Central (9-1, 3-1): Dylan Moles 8 2-2 19, Braylon Mullins 5 0-0 13, Owen Anderson 2 3-4 8, Tyler Kerkhof 7 0-1 17, Will DeJarnett 2 2-2 6, Braden Robertson 1 2-2 4, Jacob Hinton 3 0-0 6, Boston Willard 0 0-0 0, Dallas Freeman 0 0-0 0. Totals: 28 9-11 73.

New Castle (7-7, 1-3): Gavin Welch 1 0-0 3, Ethan Hinton 7 0-0 17, Colin Taylor 5 2-2 16, Tyson Lewis 0 0-0 0, Clay Butler 0 0-0 0, Landon Thompson 2 0-0 4, Cole Johnson 1 0-0 3, Caden Blackford 1 0-0 3, Mason Miller 1 0-0 2. Totals: 18 2-2 48.

3-point goals: Greenfield-Central 8 (Mullins 3, Kerkhof 3, Moles 1, Anderson 1), New Castle 10 (Taylor 4, Hinton 3, Welch 1, Johnson 1, Blackford 1)