The Hamilton Athletic Center isn’t exactly home to the Middletown High School boys basketball team. But it could be.

The Middies have made a habit of winning at Hamilton, including Friday night’s impressive 65-60 withering of the host Big Blue.

Middletown’s Vincent Edwards scored 17 points and collected nine rebounds and one block.

It was the fourth straight game that the Middies were without senior standout Jalin Marshall. That’s because he missed the recent three-game Florida holiday trip while preparing for the Under Armour All-American high school football game at St. Petersburg, Fla., also held on Friday.

Ironically, Middletown (7-5), has swept all four games that Marshall missed. Even better, the Middies remain among the Greater Miami Conference leaders at 4-1.

It also was yet another reason to officially label the Middies on a hot streak. Since losing by three to Trotwood-Madison, Middletown has won six of its last seven games. That’s the perfect remedy to overcome a woeful 1-4 start that could have rocked its season. Instead, the Middies have found what apparently was lacking early.

The Big Blue (4-6) have taken their GMC lumps, winning just once in five games. The setback also snaps a modest two-game win streak following blowouts of Talawanda and Fairmont.

It also continues a recent Middletown domination of Hamilton. The Middies have won 10 straight “Butler County Brawls,” stretching to 2007.

Middletown flexed its superior height advantage early. At 6 feet 2, senior Marcus Oliver was Hamilton’s tallest starter. The Big Blue hoped to offset that with relentless defensive pressure. But the combination of Edwards, 6-7, and Chance Sorrell, a 6-6 junior who was good for 10 points and 12 rebounds, was too much to overcome.

Hamilton had no answer when Middletown went down low to its big bruise brothers, which was often. Up by 11 at the break, the Middies opened the third quarter with a 14-4 run to extend their dominance of the Big Blue.

Edwards, considered by many the state’s best – and uncommitted - junior stopped a late Hamilton rally with a dunk.

The Big Blue pulled within 62-57 on Oliver’s steal and layup with 0:30 left but couldn’t end their rival’s domination of the longtime series.