MUNCIE, Ind – High school basketball fans made their way to the Muncie Central Fieldhouse for the Muncie Sports Commission's Fieldhouse Classic. After five games which each included a Delaware County team came to a close, Monroe Central, Lapel, Delta, Hamilton Heights and Guerin Catholic all left the historic venue with a win.
Following each game, a player from the winning team was named the Ball State Daily News’ Athlete of the Game.
Here’s how the action went down.
Game One: Monroe Central 68 - Wes-Del 61
To start the event, the Golden Bears and Warriors competed in a back-and-forth affair. However, in the fourth quarter, Monroe Central found momentum and used that to top Wes-Del 68-61.
“When we're moving around, it's hard to guard us,” Monroe Central senior Easton Foster. “We have a lot of great athletes… That's why I think we're rich and we're gonna be good.”
The game opened with the Golden Bears having some success on offense. But following that, the Warriors wanted to get back in the game and they did so with senior Josiah Love as he scored 10 points in the first quarter. He ended the game with 29.
He's just gotten stronger in the weight room,” Wes-Del head coach Josh Burkett said. “Nobody works harder than Josiah, and you see the product.”
But in the end, the Warriors could not overcome obstacles including the free throw line. Wes-Del only shot 10 foul shots while the Golden Bears attempted 39. While the rivalry game did not end in favor of the black and maroon, Burkett believes they can take away multiple positives for the rest of the season.
“This is a resilient group,” Burkett said. “I think we're gonna be okay.”
Leading the way for the Golden Bears was Foster with 30 points. He was named the Athlete of the Game.
Game Two: Lapel 84 - Burris 43
While the Burris Owls led the contest 3-2 in the first few minutes, the Lapel Bulldogs flipped the script for the rest of the period. The 18-7 lead became the tone-setter as the black and gold defeated the Owls 84-43.
Lapel senior Brode Judge led the way with 22 points, which included a slam dunk. His efforts earned him the Player of the Game award.
“I was just getting into the basket and 3-pointers were falling,” Judge said.
Though the Owls were never able to find consistent momentum, junior Malachi Smith stood out as he led the blue and white with 16 points. To Burris head coach Blair Broussard, Smith is someone the team can build around.
“He definitely brings a different tone to the floor,” Broussard said. “...He’s very fast and athletic, so we want to utilize that. It's just a matter of trying to figure out [how to use] those opportunities.”
With the Owls having many new players this year, this was another game that the team wanted to use to acclimate with each other. But to Broussard, getting to play in the event was something he wanted his players to have fun with.
“The opportunity to bring the Burris program over here to have them play in this historic facility, it means a lot,” he said. “...Having these guys over here and having them understand all the history within the facility, it means a lot to us and our community.”
Game Three: Tipton 42 - Delta 48
The third game of the day showcased defense on top of more defense. Fouls, charges and competitiveness at the rim highlighted most of the matchup. But just like in their win over the Yorktown Tigers last evening, the Delta Eagles pulled ahead late and defeated Tipton 48-42.
“We trust each other in late game situations,” Deita head coach Mark Detweiler said. “I thought we did a nice job of just making sure that we played through the right matchups down the stretch.”
Delta senior Jordan Furney led the way with 18 points while junior Lucas Bragg followed with 13, which included three 3-pointers. Furney was awarded the Player of the Game award.
“We gotta play a big role and get our points,” Furney said. “We have to make sure the team is all together.”
During the fourth quarter, Delta senior Bronson Edwards fouled out with four minutes remaining. The Eagles had to ask their younger players to step up, and they did just that, helping the blue and gold become the first Delaware County team to come out on top.
“[The younger guys] have been great,” Furney said. “We have a lot of young guys… but they're playing great defense and they're playing all-around great basketball.”
Game Four: Hamilton Heights 48 - Muncie Central 41
After the Muncie Central Bearcats found momentum in the first quarter, poor shot selection in the second quarter led to a scoring drought. This put the purple and white into a hole they could not climb out of as they fell to Hamilton Heights 48-41.
“Our shot selection was really poor and it allowed long run outs and layups for them,” Bearcats’ head coach Justin Ullom said. “We just kept taking one-on-one shots. We didn't reverse the ball many times. And when you dig a hole against a quality opponent, there was too much for us to get out of.
Hamilton Heights’ senior Tyler Champion ended the win with 16 points, and because of his play, he was given the Athlete of the Game award.
Though the Bearcats ended up in the lose column, they had some moments. Another team that has a lot of new pieces, Muncie Central is still trying to find roles for players and a system that fits their needs the best. Guys like freshman Jaxson Johnson and Carlos Echols Jr. – who both had eight points – are pieces Ullom believes can become high-level players.
“We've got good basketball players that have played a lot of basketball and I think they'll make the jump,” he said. “We're probably hoping it's soon, but it may be later this season. It certainly hasn't made it yet.”
To Ullom, hosting the event for the second annual time has been special and he hopes for it to continue.
“It's a fun event where you get to see a lot of people that you know from Delaware County and all the other schools and coaches,” he said. “It’s turned into a pretty nice event and hopefully it keeps growing.”
Game Five: Guerin Catholic 64 - Yorktown 34
The final game of the evening featured the Yorktown Tigers and the Guerin Catholic Golden Eagles, the third ranked team in Class 3A. While the green and white battled in the opening quarter, the Golden Eagles battled back and never lost their rhythm, winning 64-34.
“I don't know [what happened]. We just got blitzed,” Yorktown head coach Matt Moulton said. “I felt pretty good about halftime…. It was a weird locker room tonight. I don't know what was missing. It didn't seem like there was the passion that should have been there.”
Senior Bryson Cardinal led Guerin Catholic with 16 points and received the Player of the Game award.
The Tigers have now fallen in back-to-back games after today’s defeat and losing to Delta Friday evening. Getting out of the slump is something Moulton knows his team can do.
“We gotta figure out something,” Moulton said. “Just like life and a job, if you have a bad day, you just gotta wake up the next morning and keep at it. Sports are great because it's a microcosm of life, so you just gotta keep teaching adolescence.”
Leading the way for the Tigers was sophomore Mason Trammell with 11 points. Like other coaches from the night, winning the game is only sometimes the most important thing. It’s also the experience of playing in an event or venue like this.
“Just just looking around here," Moulton said. "The banners and all the purple and just the history. It's an honor to play here and we didn't take it for granted one bit.
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or via X @ZachCarter85.
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