South Central picks up homecoming win over FC

Floyd Central made two late charges against South Central Saturday night, but the visiting Highlanders came up short, 70-64. Coach Randy Gianfagna said it came down to two simple things.
‘Too many turnovers and too many missed free throws,’ he said.
‘They came back,’ South Central coach Rob Murawski said. ‘Randy’s teams have always fought hard. He’s had a pretty good career at Corydon, and he’s going to have that program turned around. His kids played hard.’
The Highlanders, who were coming off a hard fought game against Bedford the night before, committed a flurry of turnovers early as the Rebels took a 7-2 lead. Gianfagna said, however, he didn’t feel his team was fatigued from the Friday game.
‘I don’t think that had anything to do with it,’ Gianfagna said. ‘We just missed our free throws, and we’ve been doing that lately. It’s going to hurt you.’
South Central, meanwhile, got a scare early in the first period when Cody Jobe chased after a loose ball and collided with a plaster homecoming flower stand next to the bleachers. The force was enough to shatter the stand, sending the sharp-edged pieces all over Jobe. He was not injured, however, and continued to play.
‘That was scary, but it kind of woke the team up,’ Murawski said. ‘We were kind of flat early, then the next thing you know we’re diving on the floor, then the next thing you know we come alive and we’re starting to play basketball.’
Floyd was also playing, however, and kept the game close the remainder of the period, South Central leading by just two after the first eight minutes. Brad Holmes gave the Rebels a 20-15 early in the second period, but the Highlanders countered with a 7-2 burst to tie the game at 22.
South Central started to see fouls mount up as Travis Higdon and Cody Simpson were each called for their third. The Rebels weren’t shaken by the fouls, however, and used a 9-2 push for a 32-25 lead. Late in the period, the Highlanders came back again with free throws by Buddy McAfee and Kane Hackemack to cut its deficit to four, 34-30, at halftime.
South Central began to pull away in the third period, going on a 13-0 run to take a 51-36 lead.
Floyd didn’t roll over and started a comeback with a 7-2 burst to close the gap to 10. The Highlanders continued its run into the fourth, and Kane Hackemack scored inside to pull the Highlanders within five, 55-50.
Holmes drilled a pair of three-balls in a 6-1 burst to push the Rebel lead back to 10, but Floyd fought back again with a 6-2 burst and pulled back within five with 35 seconds left as Ryan Adam swished a three.
But the Highlanders eventually ran out of clock as the Rebels held on for a 70-64 win.
‘Our kids fought back,’ Gianfagna said. ‘We just needed to play with that sense of urgency right off the bat. It’s just a matter of playing four quarters. We just don’t do it right now, but we’re working on it.’
Kyle Hackemack led the Highlanders with 23 points, but he struggled from the free-throw line, hitting just five of 13 singles. Adam put in 13 points, and Kane Hackemack finished with 10. Floyd Central was 23 of 47 (48 percent) from the field, but hit just 14 of 29 free throws. The Highlanders committed 20 turnovers.
Jobe led South Central with 25 points, and Holmes finished with 22, with 18 of those coming via six threes. The Rebels were 25 of 58 (43 percent) from the field and 10 of 18 from the charity stripe. South Central finished with 21 turnovers.
‘They played well, and (Holmes), we knew could shoot it,’ Gianfagna said. ‘We left him open all night. It was just one of those things. They had 8 of 16 from threes, so they did an nice job. They pressed and hit shots and moved the ball and they just beat us.’