Basketball Game Preview: Muncie Central Bearcats vs. Greenfield-Central Cougars

Muncie Central hasn't had much luck against Greenfield-Central recently, but that could start to change on Friday. A feisty cat fight will be fought as Muncie Central Bearcats duke it out with Greenfield-Central Cougars at 7:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Muncie Central took a 38-point defeat the last time they faced off against New Castle, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Muncie Central narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past New Castle 60-57. Surprisingly, this marked the fourth straight game that the away team has come away the victor.

Carlos Echols

Points

12/04/24 vs Guerin Catholic	1
12/17/24 vs Tipton	2
12/21/24 vs Delta	2
01/04/25 @ Jay County	2
01/17/25 vs Richmond	2

Muncie Central found their leader in freshman Carlos Echols, who shot 67% from the field on his way to 16 points and five assists. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Echols has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Shemar Taylor, who went 5-for-9 en route to 13 points.

Meanwhile, Greenfield-Central had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They were the clear victor by a 72-47 margin over Pendleton Heights on Tuesday. The Cougars have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 16 games by 21 points or more this season.

Greenfield-Central is on a roll lately: they've won 15 of their last 16 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 22-3 record this season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 27.1 points. Muncie Central's win bumped their record up to 8-15.

Muncie Central took a serious blow against Greenfield-Central in their previous meeting back in February, falling 67-39. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Greenfield-Central's Braylon Mullins, who shot 58% from the field to rack up 30 points along with six boards and five assists. Now that Muncie Central knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.