Whippets pull away in fourth for 77-64 win
Daily Globe Sports Editor
BELLVILLE — Although Shelby has a two-game lead in the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference boys basketball race, nothing is coming easy.
Saturday night the Whippets had their hands full with Clear Fork before running off the first 14 points of the fourth quarter and collecting a 77-764 victory on the road.
Similar to Thursday’s conference win against River Valley, SHS raced out to an early lead, managed to hang onto it at halftime and then fell behind during the third period.
Entering the final eight minutes of action, the two Richland County opponents were deadlocked at 55-55 after the Colts outscored the visitors
20-11 during quarter
No. 3.
Seniors Cody Lantz and T.J. Pugh provided the spark for the
Shelby in the closing canto as the red and gray improved to 6-0 in the MOAC and 9-1 overall with their fifth straight win.
A layin by Lantz in the first 51 seconds of the final quarter put the Whippets ahead to stay and Pugh followed with a drive to the bucket with a behind the back dribble for the home for a dunk and basketball,” said SHS layup at the 6:22 mark Lantz then completed coach Nathon Loney to get things rolling in the burst with a corner about the game-deciding the right direction. three that made it run to begin the
During the 14-0 run, 69-55. fourth. the Lantz-pugh duo “At the start of the Lantz ended the evening accounted for all but fourth quarter we with a career-best two of the points. They picked up the pressure 34 points and his 15 closed out the burst like we did in the first in the opening stanza over the first 5 1/2 minutes three or four minutes propelled Shelby to an of the final quar- of the game and were early 25-16 lead. He ter with buckets. Pugh much better in our had 10 during the final swiped an inbounds defensive rotations. frame. Pugh reached pass and hammered it We also played team double figures with 16 and eight in the starting period.
“Cody played great and I’m very proud of him,” said Loney. “Both Cody and T.J. have been great for us in the last week and and a half.”
The Whippets shot out to a 6-0 lead and were up by as many as a dozen during the first quarter.
Clear Fork got as close as 34-33 with three minutes to go in the first half on a bucket by Jared Scott, but the Whippets then ran off 10 unanswered points with a burst that started and ended with three pointers by freshman Alex Bruskotter.
SHS led by as many as 11 early in the third quarter before getting running into difficulties handling the ball and defending as the Colts went on an 18-5 tear and took a 55-53 lead on a three by Brady Tedrow at the minute juncture.
Lantz’s hoop with time running out in the third quarter evened things at 55 heading to the fourth.
Looking back at the game, Loney said “we came out of the gate well and then we made things difficult. We have got to be better at the defensive end and be more disciplined.”
Shelby travels to Ontario Friday. Saturday the red and gray are home against Bellevue.
SHELBY (77)
Roberts 1 0 2, Hiatt 1 0 2, Shepherd 0 4 4, Pugh 8 0 16, Lantz 13 3 34, Hill 2 0 4, Holloway 2 2 6, Bruskotter 3 0 9, Totals 30 9 77.
CLEAR FORK (64)
Blubaugh 1 0 2, Labaki 3 0 7, Skoog 3 0 6, Scott 5 0 11, Burkholder 4 0 12, Tedrow 9 2 24, Swainhart 0 2 2, Totals 25 4 64. Shelby ............... 25191122—77 Clearfork ......... 162019 9—64
Three-point field goals — Lantz (S) 5, Bruskotter (S) 3, Labaki (C), Scott (C), Burkholder (C) 4, Tedrow (C) 4.