Staff Report
Greensburg — The Greensburg boys basketball team began the season with 15 straight wins and needed one more conference win to claim the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference title. The Pirates fell two games short of a perfect season, but accomplished all three goals it had set out to achieve before the winter campaign began. Greensburg took top honors in the Tree City Holiday Tournament, the EIAC, and the sectional tournament.
No win this season was more exciting or compelling than the Pirates’ 49-48 win over Batesville in overtime to earn themselves the Greensburg 28 Sectional crown Saturday.
Each member of the team would attest that they needed every last member of the squad to come through with a play in the back-and-forth contest.
Greensburg trailed seven different times in the game, but each Pirate delivered to overcome elimination. Each of the five starters stepped up with a play at least twice throughout the game. Senior Greg Dougan got his team off the mat with four straight points for an early lead.
Climbing out of a substantial hole, Greensburg benefited from a flurry of scoring in the third quarter. Senior Adam Wilson put Greensburg back on top with a 3-pointer early in the period, and senior Andrew Dougan tied the game back up at 30 after Batesville had reclaimed the lead.
Down 38-32, the Pirates went on an 8-0 run in the latter half of the fourth quarter. Wilson’s free throws and senior Ty Miller’s lay-up pushed Greensburg back on top 40-38.
Tied at 41, Batesville regained primacy. Senior Shawn Burcham’s triple made it 44-43, but the teams repeated the battle. Exchanging 3-pointers were Batesville’s Wes Goldsmith and Greg Dougan, setting up the final 30 seconds with Greensburg leading 47-46. The Bulldogs’ Cody Cole hit a lay-up, forcing the Pirates to earn the victory.
Miller drew a foul with 19 seconds left and made both free throws. Greensburg’s defense held on and the Pirates celebrated on their home court.
For achieving what they had worked toward for four years - as well as climbing out of a late-season slump - the members of the Greensburg boys basketball team are this week’s Greensburg Daily News Co-Athletes of the Week.
