If unbeaten Greenwood Christian is feeling any pressure late in the season, the Cougars certainly aren’t showing it.
Class A No. 1 GCA (21-0) started out fast then went into cruise control as they easily beat Traders Point Christian 87-44, in boys basketball action Tuesday night.
It was the first of a three-game homestand to end the regular season.
Football legend Joe Namath once said pressure just makes you go all the more.
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While none of the Cougars nor their head coach Jonny Marlin were alive during Namath’s heyday, they agree with the statement.
“One of our pillars is to play fearless,” Marlin said. “Each game we should go out there with a ton of confidence, whether we’re ranked number one or not. We should play a fearless brand of basketball.”
If anything, the pressure is on the opponent to stop Greenwood Christian — which Traders Point Christian didn’t do.
After going down for the only time when a 3-point basket from David Hart gave Traders a 3-0 lead, the taller Cougars quickly scored 12 consecutive points, ultimately scoring 27 in the quarter.
They kept the pressure up in the second frame, nearly matching their scoring mark, but what was impressive was the patience displayed by the Cougars in getting their shot, be it up close or from downtown.
Equally impressive was the Cougars’ shooting, as they hit 57 percent in the first half along with eight 3-point baskets — four of them from Styles McCorkle, who was on his way to a 24-point performance, tops for the game.
McCorkle had two more 3s in the second half, shooting a net-blistering 75 percent from beyond the arc.
Adding to the Knights’ troubles were senior guard Derek Petersen, who was also hitting them from outside, and the inside game of McCorkle’s older brother Champ, who was a menace from the inside on both ends of the court.
While Styles was hot from the outside, Champ was from the inside, hitting on 10 of his 14 shots for 20 points. Petersen was the third Cougar in double figures, adding 14.
“It helps when you have five guys on the court that are able to make a shot,” Marlin said. “It’s hard for teams to guard us.”
While the game wasn’t the greatest test for the Cougars, it was a vital one for Marlin as he had his bench play a significant amount, gaining them valuable experience.
Marlin marveled not only at the Cougars’ shooting, but also their defense and the way they controlled the basketball.
“I thought that our ball movement was really good, but the thing I’m probably most proud of was our defensive energy. We played six or seven different defenses and I thought we did really well,” said Marlin. “We were just very active.”
Up next for the Cougars is a visit from nonconference foe Brown County on Friday night. After that, it’s the PAAC championship on Saturday against University, ranked sixth in Class 2A.
That contest has been moved to noon to allow the boys and their fans time to get to Jasper for the Class A girls semistate between GCA and Loogootee.
