March Madness in December? The GRC basketball team traveled to Madison Central last night in what felt like a postseason game.

It was the ultimate test to begin the year. The Cardinals were able to pull out the big win in a hostile environment with a 68-63 win over the Indians.

From start to finish the game felt like a tournament game that would be played in March.

It was an extremely slow start for the Cards last night. Madison Central couldn’t miss, and the Cardinals couldn’t make a shot.

The Indians jumped out to a massive 20-6. The Indians had complete control of the game and GRC appeared shaken. 

The fast start by the Indians forced Coach Cook to use a time out to get his team under control. 

Whatever he said in that huddle worked as the Cards finished the opening quarter strong and climbed back into the game. Even after the exceptionally slow start, GRC only found themselves down 20-13 at the end of the first. 

After the cold shooting performance in the opening quarter, the Cardinals were able to heat up in the second, outscoring the Indians 22-14 in the second quarter. 

Midway through the quarter GRC made a run to cut it within one possession and had the Indians scrambling. When the Cardinals found themselves down by four halfway through the second, the big man Trent Edwards took a three from the top of the key to cut it to one.

After a scoreless first quarter, Jerone Morton scored eight points in the second quarter alone. 

With time running out of the first half, GRC was down one and guard Sam Parrish found himself open for a three that he drained right in front of the Central bench. That three gave the Cardinals all the momentum at the end of the half, to give them a two point 36-34 lead at the break. 

Foul trouble was a major problem for Coach Cook all night but especially in the third quarter. 

Morton, who had two fouls in the first half, picked up two more quick fouls in the third, that gave him four and Cook and to sit him down fast. 

Cook’s game plan in the third seemed to be to run everything through Tanner Walton. He only scored five points in the quarter, but those five points come at crucial moments in the game, and just having him on the floor when fouls were a problem was huge for the Cardinals. 

Stanley Smothers was big down the stretch for the Cardinals as well. He snagged five rebounds and had multiple offensive putbacks that allowed the Cardinals to maintain the lead. He only scored six points, but he was a big factor in last night’s win.

It was a very defensive third quarter with only 14 points scored by GRC and 13 by the Indians.

Every time GRC had the opportunity to extend their lead, Central would get a basket or two to keep it close. After a back and forth third, GRC had a 50-47 lead with a quarter to play. 

To start the fourth the Cards were finally able to get that comfortable pace they had been looking for all night. 

The Cardinals defense shut the Indians down to start and were able to pull away a little bit with time running out. 

The Cardinals found themselves up 10 late in the fourth, and forced coach Allen Feldhaus to take a time out. With just about two minutes left GRC was up 8. 

Jaylen Davis hit a three to cut the Cardinal lead to five. Following an empty Cardinal possession, Davis hit another three. 

GRC quickly looked up and found themselves only up two with a 1:08 left. The Cardinals were able to possess the ball long enough to force Central to foul. 

Aden Slone was able to knock down one free throw to extend the lead to three with seconds left. 

The GRC defense made a huge stop to force Central to foul, and Walton knocked down two more free throws to seal the game. Walton led the team in points with 18 followed by Trent Edwards with 12. 

The win keeps the Cardinals perfect to start the year and will play Pendleton County and Harrison at home, before playing in two big holiday tournaments over Christmas break that will really prove how far this team can go.

It may have not been pretty but any win is a win, in what was a big win for this Cardinals program.