(2-21-26) On this day in 1959, a North Central Conference game here in New Castle became one of the greatest scoring duels in Indiana high school basketball history.

🏀 Ray Pavy (New Castle) – 51 points
🏀 Jimmy Rayl (Kokomo) – 49 points

Final score: New Castle 92, Kokomo 81.
Two stars. 100 combined points. One legendary night.

At the end of the season, Rayl was named Indiana Mr. Basketball, with Pavy finishing runner-up. Both are now honored as inductees of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

Today, you can see a piece of that historic game on display at the Hall of Fame, a lasting reminder of two Indiana legends and a performance that still echoes through Indiana basketball history.

Thanks to the Indiana Hall of Fame

The Late Ray Pavy story. An amazing life!

Plus….

On this date in Henry County history, Feb. 20, 1959, New Castle defeated Kokomo 92-81 in what will forever be known as Pavy-Rayl shootout,

New Castle’s Ray Pavy scored 51 points in the game, while Kokomo’s finished with 49. The game has been chronicled by both state and national writers. Some regard it as the “second most important game” in Indiana basketball history, just behind Milan’s upset of Muncie Central in the 1954 state finals.

The photo here shows Pavy reunited with Rayl at Church Street Gym. The two met to reminisce about that game and promote the Great Indiana Shootout in 1986.

Almost unbelievably, Pavy missed five layups during that famous game. He remembered being shocked to learn late in the game that he had 51 points.

Were you at Church Street gym that night? Rayl died Jan. 20, 2019. Pavy died May 16, 2022.

A detailed account of the Pavy-Rayl shootout is included in the book “Hidden History of Henry County” by Henry County Historian Darrel Radford. A few limited copies of that book are still available at the Henry County Historical Society. Call Darrel at 765-524-0530 if you’re interested in purchasing one. Or, you can order it online at Arcadia Publishing’s website.

Thanks to the Henry County Museum…Visit their website at www.henrycountymuseum.org