GREENFIELD — Those that hadn’t taken a road trip to watch the Greenfield-Central Cougars boys basketball team get off to a 5-0 start, and No. 10 ranking in the Class 4A Associated Press poll, were able to see the home team on the home floor for the first time Friday.
They got a quick review of what they had missed.
Six-foot, five-inch junior NCAA Division-I prospect Braylon Mullins scored on a nice pass from senior Braden Robertson.
He then zig-zagged and Euro-stepped through the lane for another bucket and later hit a short jumper in the lane. Shortly after the Mullins Show, which was viewed by assistant coaches of both Purdue and Indiana universities, Robertson, Dallas Freeman and Boston Willard all hit first-quarter 3-pointers.
It was a great start to the sixth straight win — most in school history to start a season — and first in front of the home crowd at Dellen Automotive Gymnasium.
Greenfield-Central went on to beat Yorktown in a Hoosier Heritage Conference contest, 54-46.
“I challenged the guys earlier in the week, this is the best start in the history of the school, that’s a big deal,” Greenfield-Central coach Luke Meredith said. “We’re 5-0 on the road and then come in here to start 6-0.
“In the history of Greenfield-Central High School, it’s the best start, but it’s exactly that, just a start. Our guys have to stay together and keep grinding. I thought Braylon was great, specifically in the first half. They tried to take him away and other guys just made enough plays.”
The Cougars had a double-digit lead most of the first half. Yorktown put up a better fight to start the third quarter. The Tigers helped force seven third-quarter Cougar turnovers to get within four, 41-37, to start the fourth.
That’s when Meredith challenged his club again, to find a way to win.
“I did challenge them between the third and fourth quarter when they made their run, similarly to what happened last week except we didn’t get down seven (like the game against New Palestine),” Meredith said. “(Yorktown) made a little bit of a run and our guys found a way to win. We talk about hungry dogs, and winners know why they win, I told them to just figure it out, find a way. I really loved the way we just grinded out a win at home.”
Mullins hit a 3 to start the fourth period and then scored inside to give the Cougars a 46-37 lead just 75 seconds into the final quarter.
Yorktown’s Jacob Grim hit a 3-pointer, but the Cougars came right back with a pair of buckets inside, one from Robertson and the other from Jacob Hinton, on a nice feed from Freeman. The Cougars had regained their double-figure lead, 50-40, with four minutes left on the block.
G-C’s final four points came at the free-throw line from Robertson, Freeman and Hinton.
Mullins led all scorers with 24 points. Robertson finished with 11 and Hinton scored eight.
“That’s been our M.O,” Meredith added. “Braylon’s going to be Braylon. He’s going to be the best player on the floor every single night. The reason why we’re 6-0 at this point is the complementary pieces of having guys like Boston Willard, Braden Robertson and Dallas Freeman that can stick a shot and then you have a tough-as-nails, going-in-the-military Jake Hinton that does the dirty work.”
Off the bench, Yorktown (1-4, 0-2) was led by Austin Kates with 15. Grim and Kieran Tewari each had 10.
Along with being 6-0 overall, Greenfield-Central improved to 2-0 in the HHC. The Cougars take on Lawrenceburg tonight at Hoosier Gym in Knightstown.
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Greenfield-Central 54, Yorktown 46
Yorktown;7;14;16;9;—;46
Greenfield-Central;19;14;8;13;—;54
Yorktown (1-4, 0-2): Jabin Barnes 1 0-0 3, Kiernan Tewari 3 2-3 10, Mason Moulton 4 0-0 8, Anson Isaacs 0 0-0 0, Jacob Grim 3 3-4 10, Austin Kates 6 0-0 15, Ephraim Daugherty 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 5-7 46.
Greenfield-Central (6-0, 2-0): Dallas Freeman 1 1-2 4, Jake Hinton 2 4-4 8, Braden Robertson 4 1-2 11, Boston Willard 2 0-0 5, Braylon Mullins 9 3-3 24, Cooper Robertson 1 0-0 2, Tucker Brown 0 0-0 0, Brady Johnson 0 0-0 0. Totals: 19 9-11 54.
3-point goals: Yorktown 7 (Kates 3, Tewari 2, Grim, Barnes). Greenfield-Central 7 (Mullins 3, B. Robertson 2, Freeman, Willard)
