Greenfield-Central used its height and outside shooting to secure a 67-50 win over host Greenwood on Thursday night.
It was also a night of firsts for the respective coaches — the first win for Bradley Key as Greenfield-Central’s coach, and the first loss for Woodmen first-year man Justin Bennett, whose team couldn’t put win number two in the books for him Tuesday night.
Solid was the word for the Cougars (1-0), who played well on both offense and defense and held a sizable advantage on the boards.
“Our team came out and played well and that was my big concern,” Key said. “Really happy with our group tonight. We still have some things to work on, but that’s to be expected in the first game.”
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One thing the Cougars didn’t need to work on was the way they broke the Woodmen’s pressure, which had been so vital in Greenwood’s season-opening win at Bloomington North.
Once Greenfield-Central figured out the press, it made things difficult for the smaller Woodmen.
“We didn’t rotate quick enough in our press,” said Bennett. “We looked lethargic at times, but they did a good job of taking care of our pressure.”
The Woodmen were outscored in every quarter by Greenfield-Central, which had four players in double figures.
Leading the way for the Cougars was junior Hannah Farrell with 22 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore Addison Hill added 13 points, while Lydia McIntire and Haleigh Prebble added 11 each.
Prebble’s presence was a nice thing for Key, as he said she has not played basketball since the 6th grade.
Leading the way for Greenwood were junior Ashley Buster and sophomore Brooklyn Stubblefield with 14 points each.
For Bennett, it wasn’t the kind of game he was hoping for, but he was content — not with losing, but with his team’s play.
“We gave ourselves a chance to be competitive,” said Bennett. “We showed we that we can climb back into the game if we need too. Greenfield is tough.”
The Woodmen hit on 11 three-point shots and were a perfect 9 for 9 from the line.
