PENDLETON — The calendar said it was the last day of January, but the game was played like it was the first week of March.
In a game in which each possession seemed to have an extra level of importance, Pendleton Heights had the biggest one.
Speedy junior guard Davrick Black drove the lane and was fouled with 1.9 seconds remaining. He hit the first of two free throws, and the Arabians defeated Greenfield- Central 42-41 at Pendleton Heights High School on Friday, Jan. 31.
It wasn’t a postseason game — though it could be, with both teams playing in the Muncie Central Sectional to begin early next month — but there was still a lot on the line.
Greenfield-Central’s Hoosier Heritage Conference hopes were in the balance. The Cougars came in one of four teams with only two league losses and one of three teams 3-2, and just one-half game behind league leaders Pendleton Heights and New Palestine, both 3-1. The Dragons also won Friday, picking up a conference win at Yorktown.
The Arabians and Dragons are still tied for first at 4-1. Shelbyville and New Castle are both 3-2. There are two conference games remaining. Pendleton Heights travels to Yorktown (1-4 in the HHC) today and plays host to New Castle on Feb. 18. New Palestine is home against Shelbyville on Feb. 14 and travels to Mt. Vernon (1-4 in the HHC) on Feb. 21.
New Palestine beat Pendleton Heights in their head-to-head matchup Jan. 17.
“It was almost like a sectional-type game,” Pendleton Heights head coach Kevin Bates said after the recent key victory against Greenfield-Central. “Low possession, low scoring and they’re a sectional opponent. (Greenfield-Central) is a really good team with a really good coach.
“We talked to the team afterwards. I told them that’s a sectional feel. It was a decent atmosphere and crowd, and (Greenfield-Central) felt like they still had a chance to win the conference. They were playing with a lot at stake, and we were, too. It felt like if you were down by more than one possession, you felt like you were down a lot.”
The Cougars had the ball with the score tied, 41-41, but with 22.8 seconds remaining, senior guard Jack Cochran was called for an offensive foul.
Black, who led all scorers with 20 points, drove to the rim and was fouled.
“It’s heart-breaking for our kids,” Greenfield-Central coach Luke Meredith said. “They battled and competed like they always do.”
The Cougars came in knowing they had to shut down Pendleton Heights’ big three: 6-foot-6 Tristan Ross, three inches taller than any G-C player; sharp-shooter Jamison Dunham; and Black.
Ross got into first-half foul trouble and was limited to 5 points and six rebounds. Dunham had 6 points and was 2-of-6 from 3-point range.
Black, a 5-9 junior, proved to be too much for the Cougar defense.
“We had three keys,” Meredith said. “No clean looks for (Dunham), keep (Ross) off the boards and keep Black out of the paint. Two of the three, we were phenomenal. Black living in the paint really hurt us.
“Down the stretch, he hits the free throw, and that’s the game-winning shot because he got in the paint.”
Caleb Mundell led G-C scorers with 16. Brady Mundell had 12 and Cochran scored eight. Only four Cougars scored. Tyler Antic had five points.
Cochran had a game-high 10 rebounds and a team-best four assists. The Cougars out-rebounded the Arabians 29-21.
Greenfield-Central took a one-point lead, 31-30, into the fourth quarter. Caleb Mundell hit a deep 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer to give the Cougars the advantage.
After Cochran, twice, and Brady Mundell scored on drives, Greenfield-Central had a 39-36 lead with 2:27 to go. Black tied it with a 3-pointer, but when the Arabians failed to get back on defense, Antic scored on an easy layup for a 41-39 Cougar lead with 1:40 to go.
Black tied it on a successful drive with 1:23 remaining.
“A great win. I’m really happy for the kids. It gives a chance to still win the conference,” Bates said. “I thought our defense was really outstanding. I didn’t like how we guarded the drive at times and, in a low possession game, we put them on the line 17 times, but other than that, great team effort, and it is good to win those type of games.”
Pendleton Heights held the Cougars to 41.2% shooting from the field (14 of 34) and just 18.2% (2 of 11) from 3-point range.
Following Black’s 20, Luke Candiano scored 7, including 5 in the fourth quarter. Dunham had 6 on a pair of first-quarter treys.
The win put the Arabians, temporarily, at the .500 mark for the season (8-8), but on Saturday, they were defeated 91-79 by Pike, which is receiving votes in the The Associated Press Class 4A Top 10 poll.
Pike improved to 14-4.
Against the Red Devils, Dunham’s shooting eye returned. He scored 32 points, including 9-of-11 from 3-point range. The Arabians hit 14 of 27 3-point attempts.
Ross scored 16, including two 3-pointers, and Black added 11. Kamden Early and Candiano each scored 9, while Ethan Ross added the other 2 points.
