PENDLETON — To get a share of the Hoosier Heritage Conference boys basketball title, Greenfield-Central had to work overtime, double overtime.
A dramatic double overtime.
Braylon Mullins hit an off-balance 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Cougars a 74-72 victory, and keep the seventh-ranked Cougars unbeaten on the season.
Mullins scored 51 points, including 19 of his team’s 21 overtime points.
The highly sought-after 6-5 junior guard, hit 18 of his 30 field-goal attempts and made 11 of 13 free throws for his school record total. He was 4 of 11 from 3-point range.
Two former Cougar stars John Hamilton (1999-2000) and Kevin Bell (1981-82) had scored 50 in a game.
“He made every shot that we needed. It was a special night for a special young man,” Greenfield-Central head coach Luke Meredith said. “As soon as it left his hands you just knew it was going in. That’s what makes him him and that’s what makes this team special. Moments like this are going to help us in the sectional.”
The win guarantees the Cougars at least a share of the HHC title. They’re 6-0 in league play with one game remaining, at Class 3A No. 6 Delta on Thursday. It’s the first time since 2004 the Cougars boys basketball team has won or had a share of the conference championship.
With 28.3 seconds left, Greenfield-Central in-bounded after a timeout. The Cougars got the ball to their superstar right as time was running out. He hit the shot that ended a fantastic basketball game in front of a packed house split between Cougar and Arabian fans.
Mullins got his shot over the extended arm of Pendleton Heights’ 6-7 senior Josiah Gustin. who had blocked a couple of Mullins’ shots earlier in the game.
“I skipped it to Boston [Willard] and Boston skipped it to Brady [Johnson],” Mullins said of the final play of the game. “I looked up at the clock and I had to go get it, there was five seconds. Brady made a little hand-off play. I just shot it, praying for it to go in and it went in.”
Mullins came to the rescue all night.
The Cougars trailed 46-41 going into the final quarter. He had 29 of the team’s final 33 points, including 10 of 12 in the fourth quarter.
He scored on a layup with 15 seconds left in regulation to tie it 53-53, forcing the first extra session.
He hit a pair of free throws with 3.5 seconds in the first overtime to force the second.
“It’s what makes him special,” Meredith said of the clutch play of Mullins. “He’s the best basketball player in the state of Indiana and no one is going to change my mind. I’m not talking, county, conference, sectional, he’s the best high school basketball player in the state of Indiana.”
Greenfield-Central is ranked No. 7 in both the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association poll (all classifications) and the Associated Press Class 4A rankings. The 16-0 record continues the best start in school history. They’ve won 34 straight regular season games.
Willard added 14 points, scoring eight in the first half. He hit four 3-pointers.
The Cougars played without starters Braden Robertson and Jake Hinton much of the overtime sessions. Both fouled out. Sub Cooper Robertson’s lone bucket came in the second overtime, cutting Pendleton Heights’ lead to 70-68 with 1:15 to go.
With the score 72-68, Mullins scored and drew an and-one, to cut it to 72-71 with 49 seconds left.
Pendleton Heights dropped to 8-9 overall and 2-3 in the HHC.
They hit 11 of 22 3-pointers. Seth LaRavia scored all of his team-high 22 points in the second half. He had 11 in the two extra sessions. Cooper Sims scored 19, hitting 5 of 10 from long range. Gustin had 17.
–
Greenfield-Central 74, Pendleton Heights 72, 2 OT
Greenfield-Central;14;7;20;12;9;12;—;74
Pendleton Heights;8;11;27;7;9;10;—;72
Greenfield-Central (16-0, 6-0): Dallas Freeman 1 0-0 3, Braden Robertson 2 0-2 4, Jacob Hinton 0 0-0 0, Braylon Mullins 18 11-13 51, Boston Willard 5 0-0 14, Brady Johnson 0 0-0 0, Cooper Robertson 1 0-0 2. Totals: 27 11-15 74.
Pendleton Heights (8-9, 2-3): Seth LaRavia 6 7-8 22, Evan Mozingo 4 0-0 11, Josiah Gustin 6 5-6 17, Aaron Cookston 0 0-0 0, Cooper Sims 6 2-2 19, Joe Estes 1 0-0 2, Dontrez Braxton 0 1-2 1, Isaac Wilson 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 15-18 72.
3-point goals: Greenfield-Central 9 (Willard 4, Mullins 4, Freeman). Pendleton Heights 11 (Sims 5, LaRavia 3, Mozingo 3).
