In the regular season finale for both teams, Greensburg raced out to a lead that peaked at 26 points before a furious fourth quarter by East Central fell short. With the win, Greensburg claimed its eighth EIAC title in the past 12 seasons. (Pictured: Andrew Welage)
The Pirates looked to use their athleticism advantage early on as a quick defense rushed East Central on the offensive end, leading to missed shots on easy looks and multiple passing turnovers. It looked like it was going to be a high scoring affair, as the hosts notched 20 points in the opening eight minutes with no signs of slowing down.
The duo of Lane Sparks and Andrew Welage scored 15 of Greensburg's 20 first quarter points, and East Central struggled to figure out a way to slow them down in the second quarter. The Trojans would settle down on offense, limiting turnovers and establishing Luke Collinsworth on the block. But again, it was too much Sparks and Welage, as they both reached double figures by halftime.
After the break, it was Greensburg on the front foot as they opened up their lead above the 20 point mark as it was Miles Wilkison's turn to get going. Again, the Pirates used their athleticism advantage to turn miscues by East Central into easy looks on the other end.
The lead would peak at 27 early in the fourth quarter, but sloppy play by the home side would give East Central some hope. The Trojans 1-3-1 trapping defense gave up some easy shots for Greensburg, but it also sped up the home side, and East Central looked to attack at every opportunity. The visitors score 32 points in the final eight minutes after only mustering 33 in the previous 24 minutes of play. It was not enough, however, as they were only able to close to within the final margin of 12.