Greenfield-Central Beats Perry Meridian 60-56 in Overtime, Heads to Sectionals

Greenfield-Central held off Perry Meridian 60-56 in overtime Wednesday, improving to 11-11 and extending a three-game win streak. Cole Mullins sank two free throws with 12.1 seconds left in regulation to force the extra period, and Clay Mullins’ floater with 2:25 remaining in overtime put the Cougars ahead 54-52 for the final margin.

Perry Meridian jumped out to an 18-11 lead after one quarter, but Greenfield-Central opened the second with a 13-0 run and erased the deficit. Greenfield-Central led 46-41 with 5:18 left in regulation before the late free throws pushed the game to OT. Quarter-by-quarter scoring read: Perry Meridian;18;5;18;9;6;—;56 and Greenfield-Central;11;17;14;8;10;—;60.

Clay Mullins paced Greenfield-Central with 15 points and seven rebounds, and Malachi Van added 14 points and five rebounds while making all six shots he attempted. Van’s efficiency followed a recent hot streak; he has posted a shooting accuracy of at least 57% in each of the last four games. Cole Mullins’ late regulation free throws and part of Greenfield-Central’s 8-for-10 finish at the line proved decisive; the Cougars finished the night shooting 56% from the foul line overall and committed just nine turnovers.

Perry Meridian received 15 points from Jaden Porter and 11 from Davonte Rhodes, who scored all his points in the first quarter. The visiting box line appears as printed: Perry Meridian (6-15): Jaden Porter 4 7-8 15, Colton Barker 1 2-2 5, Davonte Rhodes 4 0-0 11, Ezra Ceaser 5 6-8 16, Riley New 1 2-3 5, Kayden Hobdy 1 0-0 3, Jeremy Johnson 0 0-0 0, Nique Ingram, Jr. 0 1-2 1, Jaylen Delaney 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 18-23 56.

Greenfield-Central’s offensive profile showed a split identity: dominant inside and efficient on two-pointers while struggling from distance. The Cougars converted 70% of two-point attempts, but were 25% from three and finished 56% on free throws for the game. The inside production and possession control helped the team reach 60 points despite what the coaches and box lines described as an off night from deep.

Coach Wayer praised the group’s late-game growth and resilience, saying, “I feel like these last couple games we began figuring these things out. … [They showed] resiliency. We’re not letting our offensive performance dictate how things go.” The program’s site closed the game write-up with the short encouragement: “Keep it rolling.”

The win sends Greenfield-Central into sectional play at .500 and with momentum, though postseason scheduling details show a discrepancy: the school’s communications say the Cougars are “gearing up for the Sectional Semifinal next Friday,” while a separate schedule database currently lists no additional games. A social post after the win read, “Final score in overtime! Your Cougars defeat Perry Meridian 60-56 and finish 11-11 on the regular season. GC faces the winner of Anderson vs” (post truncated). Greenfield-Central leaves its regular season with a three-game streak and its first overtime victory of the year as it prepares for the next step in the postseason.