They probably will not play any anniversary games or make any movies of Saturday's contest at the Muncie Fieldhouse.
A 20-2 second quarter turned a 3-point game into an eventual 81-40 Central rout, as the Bearcats left Milan no room for Plump-esque heroics in a game that celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Indians' legendary upset.
With all the hoopla surrounding the event and Central not having a chance to scout Milan, Bearcats coach Billy Shepard told his team to just worry about themselves.
"Like all season, we worry about what we can do as a team," the first-year coach said. "My goal as a coach is to get this team to execute offensively and defensively as well as it can. Tonight, we were close to that.
"We were a little ragged at the start; we started sharing the ball and things fell in line for us. We take a lot of pride in making the extra pass and helping each other out defensively."
Matt Swisher's 12-foot alley-oop jumper off an inbounds pass had Milan within 16-13 after one quarter, but Central quickly imposed its superior quickness and athleticism on both ends. The Bearcats scored the first 13 points of the period and led 36-15 at halftime.
The Indians shot just 7 of 25 in the first half, and finished with just two 3-pointers in 14 attempts. Rex Parker and Stephen Laub, who came in averaging a combined 41 points, had just eight at halftime, although Parker would finish with 21.
Meanwhile, the Bearcats, who improved to 15-3 one night after clinching an outright conference title, sank 10 of their 19 long-range attempts.
"We were going to have to play a perfect game and shoot as well as Muncie Central did to have a shot," said Milan coach Randy Combs, whose team fell to 12-7. "I told Billy after the game, 'You shoot like that, and you'll be hard to beat.' Gee whiz."
Josiah Miller scored 15 of his game-high 25 points in the third as Central stretched its advantage to 61-30. The Bearcats then scored the first seven points of the fourth.
Central leading scorer Jordan Armstrong put just nine points, but the 6-foot-6 junior corralled 14 rebounds, half of them offensive ones, as the Bearcats enjoyed a sizeable advantage on the boards.
"We had more size with Jordan inside," Shepard inside, "and we felt if we could get inside it would be an effective game for us. We were able to do that, and Josiah just had an outstanding game tonight."
Despite the lopsided result, Combs was happy with how his team competed.
"Regardless the outcome of the game, it was an honor for us to be here and be a part of it," he said. "It was a great experience for our kids.
"Our kids live with this legacy (of the `54 title) on a daily basis, so there's a little extra pressure. I was real proud of how they competed. We've done that to a couple teams this year, where we shot the ball well, but we didn't tonight. Muncie Central showed why they're one of the best teams in the state."
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