BB: Muncie Central holds off rival Muncie South, 69-58

MUNCIE – The old Fieldhouse was rockin’! It has not been a vintage season for either Muncie Central or Muncie South, but that mattered little Jan. 22 when the two city rivals conducted their annual battle in the venerable Muncie Fieldhouse. 

A raucous crowd of about 4,000 watched as the Bearcats won their eighth straight game in the series with a 69-58 victory over the Rebels that was nowhere near as easy as the score might imply.

Muncie Central (5-7) used a 19-9 finishing salvo to seal the verdict and snap a four-game losing streak. It was by far the biggest run for either team in the contest. In fact, it was nearly the only run for either team in what was a tense, exciting, but error-prone contest.

The first quarter of this one was, frankly, forgettable basketball. The game was destined to be a clash of styles between the up-tempo, dribble-oriented Rebels and a Bearcat team that wanted to play more of a half-court affair. 

Southside (6-6) had by far the better of the battle for tempo in the first eight minutes, but the Rebels saw very little reward for it because of numerous turnovers on forays into the paint against the Bearcat defense. Muncie Central, meanwhile, was getting good shots at the other end but could convert on very few. 

The quarter ended in a 10-10 tie, but those who wanted to see more offense needed to wait only for the second quarter to begin. The two squads combined for 45 points in a period that saw Central take a slim 34-31 lead into intermission, and action during this quarter established what became a consistent theme for the rest of the game. 

The Bearcats put together the game’s first spurt early in the period by scoring five straight points to take a 17-12 lead. Southside senior guard Jamal Wolfe responded by cashing in on a 3-pointer on the Rebels’ next possession. 

Two more times later in the quarter, the same thing occurred. Central began to create a little space, only to see Wolfe bomb away from beyond the arc.

Southside scored the first four points of the second half to take a brief 35-34 lead on Bryce Long’s scoop shot, but the quarter quickly settled into the familiar pattern. The Bearcats repeatedly created a little space on the scoreboard, only to see it narrowed quickly by the Rebels. 

The third stanza ended with Central holding a narrow 46-44 advantage, and nothing changed through the early minutes of the fourth period. Central maintained the lead, but narrowly at best, and the Bearcats called timeout with slightly more than four minutes to play and holding a 50-49 lead. 

Central then went on yet another small run led by two baskets from 6’8” sophomore center Nick Osborne, and the advantage was 57-49. But this time, the Rebel shooters – Wolfe included – could not respond. Southside missed a number of perimeter shots and was forced to foul to extend the contest. 

Central, which went 8 of 9 from the field during the final period, was deadly as well from the charity stripe in the final minutes, and the outcome was sealed.

Bearcat coach Matt Fine said after the game that he was most pleased by the fact his young team finally made the plays necessary to win down the stretch. Central was led in scoring by Osborne with 19 points, while junior guard Jeremiah Davis added 18.

For Southside, it was a bitter pill – especially for Wolfe, who finished with a game-high 25 points. The Rebels gets back in action Jan. 23 with an 8 p.m. home game against Blackford (3-8).

Muncie Central will return to the Fieldhouse on Saturday for a 5:30 p.m. tip against powerful 4A No. 2 North Central (Indianapolis) (12-2), a 99-55 Friday night winner over visiting 4A No. 11 Lawrence North (8-3).