MUNCIE, Ind. —
Brian Hahn is so confident that Kellen Dunham will make his free throws that he never puts his players on the lane, and after 17 straight makes on Friday night why would anyone argue with his logic?
Dunham poured in a game-high 36 points at the Walnut Street Fieldhouse as Class 4A No. 5 Pendleton Heights defeated Class 3A No. 1 Muncie Central 68-64 in overtime.
“Talk about clutch. He made 17 of 17,” said Hahn of his senior sharpshooter, who shoots 93 percent from the line and missed his final two attempts after the game was secured. “He is a special player, and his ability to make tough plays is what makes him special.”
Dunham finished 8-of-16 from the field, including three 3-pointers, and added four rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes.
Brogan Gary finished with 13 points and five assists, and Matt Wehner added 12 points, including arguably the biggest shot of the game.
Early in the overtime period, Muncie Central tied the game at 59 for the 12th and final time with just over two minutes remaining.
Wehner took a pass from Dunham in the left corner and drained a 3-pointer.
Pendleton Heights never led by less than three points the rest of the game.
“He wasn’t in the flow of the game, but when it mattered he made the biggest shot of the game,” said Hahn. “It was a great game, and I’m extremely proud of how we competed. Everybody made big plays, and it was an outstanding effort all around. It’s a big win, especially playing a team with that big of a size advantage. To come out with a win is big for our confidence and experience.”
Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the field as Pendleton Heights made 20 of 39 field goals (53 percent), and Muncie Central hit half of its 42 attempts.
The Arabians were 8-of-21 from 3-point range and 20-of-23 from the free throw line, while the Bearcats were 6-of-14 from behind the arc and 16-of-20 from the charity stripe, including their first 16 in a row.
Despite a huge size advantage inside, the Bearcats only outrebounded the Arabians 23-20, including 5-3 on the offensive glass. Central outscored Pendleton Heights 28-14 in the paint, but assists (11-11), turnovers (10-9 MC) and steals (5-3 PH) were nearly identical.
Pendleton Heights led 20-16 after one quarter, and the teams were tied at the half (29-29), after three periods (41-41) and at the end of regulation (57-57).
There were also 12 ties and 15 lead changes in the game with neither team every leading by more than seven points.
Pendleton Heights (17-2) hosts Fishers on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
Both of the Arabians losses are against Class 4A No. 1 Hamilton Southeastern.
Muncie Central dropped to 14-3 overall.
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Kellen Dunham drives through the foul lane for a layup against Mount Vernon earlier season. David Humphrey / For The Herald Bulletin
Discussion
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