By Dustin Dopirak
For the Daily Journal
Jonny Marlin knows this was the sort of game that Greenwood Christian would have lost a month ago, because the Cougars’ coach watched his team do it against the same team they were playing on Tuesday night
But after fading late to Indian Creek in their last game before Christmas, GCA held on for a 56-51 Johnson County tournament win thanks to 24 points from senior forward Styles McCorkle and a litany of critical late-game plays, including a crucial long rebound by 5-foot-7 point guard Evan Stinnett.
The Cougars (5-4) will face host Greenwood in the second semifinal game on Friday night.
“It’s a testament to our guys because early on in the season, we would have a tendency to fold and to feel the pressure,” Marlin said. “Honestly, I think we came more together. The fact that we came more over the season’s huge.”
GCA took a seven-point lead at the end of the first quarter and took a 27-20 advantage early in the second half, but anytime Greenwood Christian came close to opening up a cushion, Indian Creek senior guard Mason Britt and senior wing Ethan Williams had answers. Britt finished with 19 points, including three 3-pointers, and Williams finished with 17. GCA went up 50-45 on a 3-pointer by sophomore wing Blake Shewmaker midway through the fourth quarter, but Britt answered with a jumper that made it 50-47.
But on the following possession, GCA center Isaiah Davis was fouled and made the first of two free throws to make it a four-point game. He missed the second and the ball ricocheted off the hands of several players into the backcourt, but Stinnett outran all of them to chase it down in the backcourt. That kept the possession alive until Davis was fouled again, and he hit two free throws to make it a 53-47 game.
“The only thing that was in my head was get it out and go, and let’s get a bucket,” Stinnett said.
Said Marlin: “Evan is an absolute warrior. There are very few people in the state that I would chose in a 50-50 ball over Evan. When you’re 5-6, you have to do things to find a way on the floor, and he’s about as tough as we have.”
Indian Creek (5-6) answered with a 3-pointer by Williams, but they never came closer. A free throw by McCorkle helped put the game away and Britt turned the ball over with 8.9 seconds to go to allow Greenwood Christian to clinch it.
The critical plays down the stretch made sure a sensational performance by McCorkle wasn’t in vain. The 6-5 forward was dynamite inside and outside. He hit a pair of 3-pointers including a halfcourt buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter. He got to the rim with ease from both the wing and the post and he found shooters when he was well defended. His brother Kage, a sophomore guard, added 11 points.
“Styles scores at three different levels,” Marlin said. “With his size and his athleticism, he’s a tough matchup. We try and get him in as many spots as possible. I thought Styles did a great job tonight just scoring it.”
But for Greenwood Christian, the bigger development was their ability to hang in there late when close games are being decided.
Marlin said he saw that develop after Christmas when the Cougars had a stretch of nine practices without a game.
“Those can honestly make or break a team,” Marlin said. “I think we did a good job of taking ownership of things that we can do better. Those were probably the best nine practices that we’ve had all season. I think it showed in these last two ball games.”
