Gilliard’s 10-Point Run, Full-Court Press Propel Center Grove To 4A Regional Title

Center Grove rallied from a second-half deficit as Gracyn Gilliard’s 10 consecutive points and a trapping full-court press flipped momentum, lifting the Trojans to a 50-45 victory over Pendleton Heights in the IHSAA 4A regional championship in Greenfield on Feb. 15, 2026.

The turning sequence came after Pendleton Heights held the lead early in the second half; Center Grove switched to a relentless full-court trapping scheme that forced turnovers and sped the game up. Gilliard answered with a personal scoring run of 10 straight points that erased the margin and pushed Center Grove ahead in the fourth quarter.

The final scoreboard read 50-45, with Center Grove claiming the regional crown in Greenfield. Pendleton Heights stayed within striking distance late, but Center Grove’s defensive pressure prevented sustained Pendleton Heights possessions and produced short fields for the Trojans during Gilliard’s run.

Center Grove’s regional title is the defining outcome from the Feb. 15 game in Greenfield, and Gilliard’s scoring burst stood out as the decisive stretch. The combination of a trapping full-court press and a single-player scoring surge changed the game’s tenor; Center Grove converted turnovers into enough points to build and maintain a slim lead down the stretch.

Beyond the final score, the win in the IHSAA 4A regional highlights how tactical adjustments and timely individual performance can alter postseason trajectories. The Trojans’ use of the press late in the second half created the turnovers that set up Gilliard’s 10-point sequence, and that defensive-to-offensive swing proved pivotal in Greenfield.

Center Grove leaves the regional with a 50-45 championship result tied directly to the Feb. 15 performance in Greenfield and to Gracyn Gilliard’s consecutive points. The trapping full-court pressure and that scoring burst will be the headline moments followers of Indiana high school basketball cite from this regional final.