<p><strong>C</strong>enter Grove juniors Leyton McGovern and Landin Hacker were quiet for most of Friday night’s boys basketball clash with crosstown rival Greenwood.</p><p>When the Trojans needed them most, however, both rose to the occasion, delivering a number of clutch plays to help the visitors rally for a 41-37 triumph in front of a big and spirited crowd.</p><p>“What a great atmosphere,” Center Grove coach Zach Hahn said. “Players are going to play harder when fans come out. … That’s what high school sports are all about, to play in front of your home town and represent your team, and we did.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>“We’ve played in four two-possession games with about three minutes to go already, and to see us make some winning plays tonight, it was great to see our growth.”</p><p>McGovern, who had just one point and four fouls in the first three periods, converted a putback after a Tyler Cerny steal that put Center Grove on top, 35-34, with 3:58 left in regulation. It was the 10th and final lead change of the night.</p><p>Hacker then knocked down a 3-pointer half a minute later — a bucket that proved necessary when Greenwood’s Ian Raker hit his fourth 3 of the night to make it a one-point game with 1:57 remaining.</p><p>The Woodmen (5-2) had a chance to tie or win the game on their final possession, but McGovern came up with a steal and sank two game-sealing free throws with 4.4 seconds on the clock.</p><p>“It’s all a mental thing,” McGovern said of his team’s ability to battle back. “If you let the negatives get to you, that’s where you really start to fold. Deep in a game like that, you’ve got student sections, crowds, you can’t let the tempo or flow of the game get to you. We did a good job of not letting it get to us too much, and that’s how we came up with the (win).”</p><p>Points were in such short supply at both ends that Greenwood trailed by just two at the midway point, 17-15, despite going the final nine minutes and 20 seconds of the half without a field goal.</p><p>Charlie Bemis helped keep the Trojans (3-3) afloat with 11 first-half points, including three 3-pointers in the opening quarter. The Woodmen held a narrow 13-11 lead after the first eight minutes.</p><p>Greenwood broke out of its second-quarter funk and scored seven consecutive points to pull ahead, 24-21, with 3:55 to go in the third. Center Grove clawed back to get it all square at 26-26 going into the final period.</p><p>Gavin Dowling’s tip pass to set up a Raker 3, followed by a steal and layup from Brock Kincaid, gave the Woodmen a 31-28 edge before Center Grove tied it at the other end on a 3 from Tayven Jackson with 5:11 to go. Raker, who had a game-high 14 points, briefly put Greenwood back up with another 3 before the Trojans’ decisive 7-0 run.</p><p>“Guys just stepped up and made plays,” Hahn said. “We made good defensive plays. Both teams — Raker made big 3s in the second half for Greenwood, and then Tayven and Hacker made big 3s for us late. It was just a back and forth game. It was a fun basketball game in a great basketball environment.”</p><p>For Greenwood, close losses to Center Grove might have been considered moral victories in years past, but that’s no longer the case.</p><p>“In the locker room, we just talked about how close isn’t good enough anymore,” coach Joe Bradburn said. “We’ve been getting better, and our expectations have risen, and I think that’s the feeling of everybody in that locker room now is, close is not good enough. Maybe people had a fun time watching a close game, and the fans enjoyed that atmosphere, but we’ve got to find a way to get over the top.”</p>
