6-0 Whippets maul Highland 77-42
Daily Globe Sports Editor
The only thing that slowed down the Whippets was the running clock during the fourth quarter.
Through three periods, Shelby had rang up more than 70 points en route to a 77-42 Mid Ohio Athletic Conference boys basketball win against Highland in the Dawg House.
The victory kept the SHS ledger unblemished through six games and vaulted the red and gray into sole ownership of first place in the conference with a ledger to 4-0.
Four of the five Shelby starters reached double figures. Sophomore Alex Bruskotter set the pace with 20 while Andre Hill and Marshall Shepherd collected 17 apiece. Jeremy Holloway added 10.
The Whippets shot a torrid 62 percent (28 of 45) from the floor and built a 30-point advantage by halftime.
Bruskotter grabbed six boards and had four assists. Hill added five assists and Max Hess had four. Holloway and Bryson Baker each had four boards. Holloway also registered four steals and five blocks.
Through the first 2 1/2 minutes, the contest was a 5-5 stalemate.
Bruskotter’s three from the top of the circle broke the tie and SHS never trailed again. It also jump started a 21-2 flurry to end the opening stanza.
Featuring nine straight points from Andre Hill, Shelby would go on a scoring binge of 22 unanswered points that was capped by Shepherd’s offensive stickleback with 7:03 remaining in the opening half.
First-year red and gray coach Greg Gallaway felt Hill’s play was key in his team getting separation from the Scots.
“He’s our energizer for us. What he does on the really sets the tone what we do defensively. When he’s going and being solid dictates the pace we want to play at, especially at the defensive end,” said Gallaway of Hill.
Holloway’s bucket made if 49-15 with a minute left in the second quarter and as the Whippets checked in at the intermission with a 49-19 lead.
In assessing the first half, Gallaway said “we did a good job of running transition. We were able to get layups which is our goal. I thought when we had to execute our half court offense, we did a good job in our sets and were getting open shots. Defensively, after we settled in the first quarter, we were solid.”
Lacking the energy they displayed in the opening half, SHS saw their lead whittled to 22 with 3 1/2 minutes remaining.
Shelby regrouped and Holloway’s three-pointer fueled a 14-0 burst to close out the period as the hosts led 73-37.
“When we came out the second half we didn’t have the same energy and pop like we did the first half. When we go down the road that’s something we have to fix,” said Gallaway.
The largest margin was 40 (77-37) on a free throw by Issaiah Ramsey.
With a running clock all of the fourth quarter, a total of nine points were scored during the rapidly moving eight minutes.
Highland, which slips to 0-4 in the MOAC and 1-5 overall, received 15 points from Jordan Bellamy in the first ever meeting between the two schools in basketball.
Tuesday evening the Whippets have a MOAC contest at River Valley.
HIGHLAND (42)
Sears 1 0 2, Schmidt 1 0 3, Hankins 3 0 7, Bellamy 6 0 15, Fitzpatrick 3 2 8, Nauman 1 0 2, Church 1 0 3, Murta 1 0 2, Totals 17 2-7 42.
SHELBY (77)
Hill 7 3 17, Shepherd 7 2 17, Bruskotter 6 7 20, Ramsey 2 1 5, Baker 2 0 6, Hess 1 0 2, Holloway 3 3 10, Totals 28 16-19 77. Highland ........... 7 12 18 5 —42 Shelby ............. 26 23 24 4 —77
Three-point field goals — Schmidt (H), Hankins (H), Bellamy (H) 3, Church (H), Shepherd (S), Bruskotter (S), Baker (S) 2, Holloway (S).