(Batesville, IN) – The Batesville Invitational championship was decided by one possession Saturday night at Batesville High School, with Greenfield-Central edging the host Bulldogs 52–51.
The loss was the first of the season for Batesville, which slipped to 7–1 after entering the title game undefeated.
The deciding sequence came late. Greenfield-Central converted two free throws on a set play, then Batesville’s potential game-winning three-point attempt on the ensuing possession did not fall.
Earlier Saturday morning, Batesville earned its spot in the championship game with a 70–60 win over Austin, featuring three Bulldogs in double figures and a team-leading 28 points from Cameron Holcomb.
The championship game followed a different script. Batesville trailed by as many as 10 points, then mounted a strong fourth-quarter push, outscoring Greenfield-Central 15–9 over the final period. The rally came up one point short.
Greenfield-Central improved to 5–4 with the invitational win, playing without reigning Indiana Mr. Basketball Braylon Mullins.
After the game, Batesville head coach Aaron Garrett said the outcome reflected both the Cougars’ performance and his team’s response late.
“Proud of the effort in the fourth quarter,” Garrett said. “The first three quarters, Greenfield Central earned this championship.”
Garrett said consistency over the full 32 minutes ultimately decided the game.
“The standard’s a standard, and we did not meet that standard tonight over thirty-two minutes,” he said.
“You don’t win close, tough possession-by-possession games if you don’t meet that standard consistently.”
Statistically, Greenfield-Central was led by Cole Mullins with 14 points, including 12 from three-point range, and Isaiah Hess with 13. Batesville again had three players in double figures, paced by James Hughes’ 17 points, with Trenton Lewis scoring 11 and Holcomb adding 10.
In the invitational’s third-place game earlier Saturday, Austin defeated Harrison (Ohio) 74–66.
Batesville now turns its attention to postseason play. The Bulldogs are back on the floor Wednesday night in the Ripley County Tournament, opening against Jac-Cen-Del.
You’ll hear more from Coach Aaron Garrett Monday night on a special Ripley County Tournament preview edition of Coaches Corner, live from Ison’s Family Pizza in downtown Batesville, with coaches from all teams in the tournament scheduled to appear. WRBI will carry every bit of the Ripley County Tournament on 103.9 FM and The WRBI App.
Junior Varsity Posts Same W/L Results at Tourney
(Batesville, IN) – The Batesville boys junior varsity basketball team split its Saturday slate, opening the day with a dominant win over Austin before falling to Greenfield-Central later in the day.
Batesville overwhelmed Austin from the opening tip, racing to a 29–5 lead after the first quarter and never looking back in a 65–25 victory. The Bulldogs led 44–13 at halftime and continued to extend the margin over the final two periods.
Winston Garrett paced a balanced Batesville scoring effort with 11 points. Camden Kaiser and Liam Wagner added nine points each, while Hank Bohman finished with eight. Luke Richardson scored six points, with Sam Dice and Levi Hunt contributing five apiece. Preston Blessing, Liam Moon and Jackson Peetz each added four.
In the second game, Batesville faced a deeper and more experienced Greenfield-Central squad and fell 63–40. After trailing 22–15 at halftime, the Bulldogs were unable to slow Greenfield-Central’s offense in the second half, as the Cougars pulled away over the final two quarters.
Bohman led Batesville with 13 points in the loss, followed by Kaiser with 11 and Blessing with seven. Peetz scored three points, while Dice, Hunt and Moon each added two.
The Bulldogs gained valuable experience across the two-game stretch, with multiple players contributing on the scoreboard throughout the day.