MUNCIE, Ind – To end the two-day Holiday Classic at Delta High School, the Delta Eagles and Muncie Central Bearcats played in the event’s final two contests Saturday evening. After the gym emptied and the scoreboard was officially shut off, the blue and gold were named the champions while the purple and black finished in third place.
Here’s how the action went down.
Third-Place Game: Muncie Central vs Scecina
After the first round on Friday, Muncie Central head coach Justin Ullom said he wanted his team to play all four quarters and not fall into the trap of selfish play. While it was a little closer than the Bearcats preferred, the purple and black defeated Scecina 36-34. This earned them a third-place finish in the event.
While the Bearcats began the game by scoring 16 points in the first quarter, they only added 20 in the final three periods. In the fourth quarter, it was clear to the coaching staff that Muncie Central’s defense needed to step up to win the match. With multiple underclassmen on the roster, defense is something the Bearcats have tried to prioritize in practice.
“They’re learning every play,” Ullom said. “…It’s tough every day, but it's exciting.”
In the end, the Bearcats did just that. After back-to-back timeouts and forcing a five-second call turnover, the purple and black never lost their edge to capture their second win of the event.
“You get out there on the floor and we switched defenses in the last 13 seconds, made a foul and got a five-second call,” Ullom said. “That's a pretty good focus.”
Four players scored eight points in the win — Junior Shemar Taylor, freshman Jaxon Johnson, junior Landen Wells and freshman Carlos Echols Jr.
To Taylor, this kind of game is important to the team's development.
“They feel like [these games] give a lot of pressure,” Taylor said. “I just tell them to take it in … and I feel like they did [today].”
Muncie Central will next play at Jay County Saturday, Jan. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Championship Game: Delta vs Providence
Going into the championship game, the Eagles knew they had a difficult task with Providence as the Pioneers were one of the top 10 Class 2A teams in the state with a 6-0 record.
“This is a really good basketball team,” Delta head coach Mark Detweiler said. “They came in undefeated and were a tough out.”
But the highly skilled opponent did not scare the blue and gold as the Eagles started strong and used solid defense throughout the final three quarters to defeat the Pioneers 45-26, which allowed them to become the 2024 Holiday Classic champions.
“I’m really proud because we sent that message of ‘We’re not going anywhere’ and they showed that they belong as a new Delta team with a new identity,” Detweiler said.
Your 2024 Delta Holiday Classic Champions: the @DeltaEagles_@dn_sports pic.twitter.com/IFzFZSS92b
— Zach Carter (@ZachCarter85) December 29, 2024
Delta’s quick start was led by senior Jayden Furney as he scored nine points in the first few minutes to help lead the Eagles to a 12-2 lead. Furney – who led with 17 total points – said his teammates set him up well throughout the contest. But after that, the Pioneers showed why they were one of the top teams of their class as they battled back to trail 20-14 at halftime.
During the second half, there was a shift in the style of play. It was much more physical and the game became chippy at times with players sharing words and fans yelling at the officials.
“We handled it well and matched [the Pioneers] energy,” Furney said. “We talked back a little but it was just competitive and I loved it.”
Despite that, the blue and gold never lost their focus as they cruised with a comfortable lead and later held up the trophy – a gingerbread house – after the game’s conclusion.
Coming into the season, Detweiler believed this group of Eagles was somewhat written off due to previous teams. But after going 3-0 this weekend and being named the event’s champions, this Delta team proved they are not going anywhere and that they deserved to be respected.
“Nobody talks about this group because of who they came behind,” Detweiler said. “I love the edge they’ve approached this season with. When certain pieces fall into place because of circumstances and because of what’s happened the last few years, they’ve had to be patient and wait for their turn.
“We knew that we had some dudes ready to play when maybe the general public didn’t.”
Going forward, the path does not get any easier. The Eagles will take a four-day break before next playing New Palestine Friday, Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Then they face Wapahani – the No.1 team in Class 2A – in the first round of the Delaware County Tournament.
However, according to Furney and Detweiler, the tall tasks do not scare the blue and gold.
“It’s great to win a championship, but there’s a lot more coming,” Furney said. “It’s just a good boost to go get more.”
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or via X @ZachCarter85.
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