Greenwood Gators (4-3) @ Warren Central Dragons (2-1)
January 22, 2021 – 6:00pm
By Perry Swack
Warren Central will begin its 14th District slate on Friday evening against Greenwood, who will enter the contest at 1-1 in district play. The Dragons had games against Warren East and Bowling Green canceled in successive weeks leading to this showdown with the Gators.
Current District Standings
Bowling Green 2-0
Greenwood 1-1
Warren Central 0-0
Warren East 0-1
South Warren 0-1
Last Time Out
Greenwood defeated Hopkinsville on Senior Night, 74-62
Warren Central blew by Allen County-Scottsville, 77-47
Last Meeting – February 14, 2020
Warren Central clinched the #1 seed for the 14th District Tournament with a 60-52 victory over Greenwood at home. Dre Boyd led the Dragons with 18 points, while Tay Smith chipped in 14. Smith nailed four three-pointers and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Boyd grabbed seven rebounds in the win. Ben Carroll led the Gators with 20 points and six rebounds and Cade Stinnett scored 14 points, making all five free throw attempts.
What to Watch For
Coach Will McCoy’s Gators have yet to build a winning or losing streak in 2021. The club has alternated wins and losses all season but will look to start a winning streak Friday night after beating Hopkinsville by 12 points on Wednesday. Cade Stinnett continues to lead the Gators in scoring at 16.1 points per game. The junior scored a game-high 28 points on Wednesday, going 12-for-16 from the field. Aaron Brown has continued to excel in his first year with the team, averaging 10.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest. Marc Grant is also having a solid senior season, averaging 13.9 points per game and a team-high 19 three-pointers.
Warren Central looked a little shaky in its season opener last week at Madisonville-North Hopkins – losing by seven points – but the Dragons have rebounded with a road victory at University Heights and a big home win against Allen County-Scottsville. After scoring only 47 points in its season opener, Central has averaged 78.5 points per game and have seemingly shaken off any rust from a long offseason. It has been a balanced effort on the offensive side of the ball with Jace Carver (14.0 PPG) and Chappelle Whitney (13.3 PPG) leading the way. The duo also leads the team in rebounding as Carver is averaging 6.3 rebounds per game and Whitney 8.3.
Prediction
Warren Central is ranked #3 in the ST Power Rankings, while the Gators are not far behind at #5. I think it will be a highly contested game with both teams looking to score in transition. The Dragons are averaging eight three-point field goals per game, but they hit 14-of-31 on Tuesday night against the Patriots. Greenwood is averaging nearly seven three-point field goals per contest. The three-ball has taken over the game and may again be the deciding factor at Dragon Gym on Friday.
With limited fans in attendance, it will not feel like a normal 14th District game; however, it certainly will be to the Gators’ advantage that they already have two under their belt this season. Many of Central’s players will be cutting their teeth for the first time in a district showdown. Ultimately, I think the Dragons are able to defend home court in what I believe will be a back-and-forth affair. Their 30-point win over AC-S (though without Mason Shirley) showed us that Warren Central has not left the building. The game will come down to the final seconds, as Warren Central edges Greenwood and sets up an exciting rematch next month at The Swamp.
Warren Central 77, Greenwood 75
Stat to Know – February 22, 2017
It has been four years since Greenwood knocked off Warren Central on the road. In 2017, the Gators beat the Dragons twice inside Dragon Gym. GHS eked out a 56-53 double overtime thriller over Central in the 14th District semifinals in what has been the last time Greenwood qualified for the 4th Region Tournament.
