KNIGHTSTOWN, Ind. — East Palestine and Western Reserve’s basketball teams got the full Indiana high school basketball experience on Saturday as the two teams faced off in the gym made famous by the 1986 film “Hoosiers”.

The Blue Devils came out victorious 50-41 on the floor where Gene Hackman roamed as coach during the 1985 filming of the famous movie in the former Knightstown Community School gymnasium.

Drew Bycroft led the Bulldogs (10-11) with 14 points, four rebounds and two steals, while Owen Jurjavcic had 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Landyn Cope provided nine points and three rebounds. Kyler Bourne had four points, four rebounds and three assists.

For Western Reserve (13-9), Connor Cochran had 23 points.

The gym was built in 1921 and served the Knightstown community until it was closed in 1966. It saw little use until location scouts for “Hoosiers” thought it would be a good stand-in for the fictional Hickory Huskers’ gymnasium.

The film was roughly based off the story of the 1954 Milan High School Indiana state championship team and is considered one of the best American sports movies of all-time.

Following the closure of the school next door to the gym in 1988, ‘Hoosier Gym’ was spared from the wrecking ball and turned into a museum dedicated to the film and the history of Indiana high school basketball. Around 80 games per year are played on the floor.

Garrettsville Garfield and Waterloo along with Elyria Catholic and Elyria Open Door Christian also played games in that gym this season.

In jayvee action, Western Reserve won 45-34. For Palestine, Brad Bartels had 10 points, while Jaxson Robb added five points.

East Palestine opens tournament play on Friday at Newton Falls.

EP: 8-20-33-41–41

WR: 10-11-18-11–50

EAST PALESTINE SCORING: Landyn Cope 3-0-9, Will Dixon 1-0-2, Drew Bycroft 6-0-14, Isaac Cozza 0-0-0, Clark Rutledge 0-0-0, Owen Jurjavcic 4-4-12, Kyler Bourne 2-0-4. TEAM TOTALS: 16, 4-7: 41.

WESTERN RESERVE SCORING: Aiden Romine 1-0-2, Dom Ricciardi 4-3-12, Nico Paris 0-0-0, Peyton Hartell 0-0-0, Josh Klasic 5-0-10, Connor Cochran 8-3-23, Jackson Young 1-1-3. TEAM TOTALS: 19, 7-13: 50.

Three-point goals: East Palestine 5 (Cope 3, Bycroft 2), Western Reserve 5 (Cochran 4, Ricciardi).

Wellsville 60, United 38

WELLSVILLE — Tyrell Watkins had 23 points, while Andrew Mackey added 13 points in Wellsville’s 60-38 win over United on Saturday in boys basketball regular season play.

Wellsville is 10-12 and 7-7 in the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference. United is 5-17 and 2-12.

United was led by Kadin Schonauer’s nine points.

United won the jayvee game, 36-33. Kota Shasteen had 13 points for the Eagles. Haydin Oliver had eight points for Wellsville.

Wellsville hosts Southington on Saturday in a Div. VII sectional. The Eagles are at Grand Valley on Friday for a tournament game.

UN: 5-13-13-7–38

WE: 16-13-19-12–60

UNITED SCORING: M’Kyan Haynes 0-0-0, Abram Ceresna 0-0-0, Kadin Schonauer 4-1-9, Kota Shasteen 3-1-7, Alex Rawson 2-3-8, Trent Ellyson 2-2-6, Lance Rycraft 0-0-0, Matthew Hoopes 2-0-6, Luke Mercer 1-0-2. TEAM TOTALS: 14, 7-10: 38.

WELLSVILLE SCORING: Jeron Jackson 1-3-6, Landon Ramsey 3-0-7, Gage Vance 0-0-0, Cooper Frank 0-0-0, Haydin Oliver 0-0-0, Richie Wyse 0-0-0, Darnell Roe 3-0-6, Tyrell Watkins 7-8-2, Eric Dwoling 2-0-5, Andrew Mackey 6-1-13, Aurelio Blasio 0-0-0, Balasz Horvath 0-0-0. TEAM TOTALS: 22, 12-19: 60.

Three-points goals: United 3 (Hoopes, Rawson), Wellsville 4 (Jackson, Ramsey, Watkins, Dowling).