Shelby celebrates senior night with big win
Shelby boys basketball celebrated senior night with a 75-40 rout of Upper Sandusky on Saturday evening.
Shelby honored eight senior basketball players and six senior cheerleaders during a pregame ceremony.
Bryson Baker, Karlie Barnhart, Alex Bruskotter, Vanna Burns, Alainah Carmel, Tanner Hartz, Casey Lantz, Brennan Lewis, Ismail Sirventmartinez, Issaiah Ramsey, Amareon Russell, Eli Schwemley, Alyssa Thomas, Maylin Thurman, and Sarah Turner were all celebrated pregame.
The seniors boys have been part of four conference championships and sporting a 75-11 in the four years at varsity level.
Shelby head coach Greg Gallaway spoke about the eight senior basketball players.
“We wanted to make sure we sent our seniors out the right way,” he said. “This senior class is very special. The togetherness, how they’ve connected as a group. The time they’ve put into basketball is special.”
Once again, the Whippets jumped out to an early lead and cruised to the non-conference victory.
Bruskotter led the Whippets in the first half, draining five three-pointers on his way to 25 firsthalf points.
The high-flying Whippets had three vicious dunks in the first half. Lantz jammed two home, including a highlight reel baseline drive/dunk.
With the Whippets trailing 5-4, Bruskotter swished
a three to give Shelby a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Lantz then drove baseline and slammed home a two-handed dunk to give the Whippets a 9-5 lead.
After the teams traded baskets, Shelby then went on a 13-5 run, ending with a Brayden Devito three to end the first quarter and give Shelby a 24-14 advantage.
Gallaway was pleased with his team’s quick start and the pace of the game.
“Our first key was to get out to a fast start and speed up the game. Upper is content playing a half-court game, and we wanted to play at our tempo,” he said “I thought we did a good job of that throughout the game and got them out of their comfort zone.”
Shelby then pretty much put the game away in the
second quarter, outscoring Upper 22-6.
Bruskotter started the second quarter, draining two three-pointers. After an Upper layup, Issaiah Ramsey then scored the game’s next seven points followed by a Lantz three to give Shelby a commanding 40-18 lead with 3:45 left in the first half.
Upper hit a basket to stop Shelby’s. But the Whippets scored the half’s final six points, including a two-handed Bruskotter dunk off a nice pass from Bryson Baker to make the score 46-20 at halftime.
Shelby outscored Upper 16-12 in the third quarter. Bruskotter knocked down the last eight of his gamehigh 33 points to make the score 62-32 at the end of the third.
The Whippets shot 50% from the field (29-58) and
out-rebounded Upper 35-18.
“We are starting to buy into being physical when going after rebounds instead of just using our height,” Gallaway said.
“A lot of our rebounds were offensive (13), which led to our backs or kick it out for threes, which are great shots for us,” he said. “We were very efficient on offense. We had 22 assists and instead of getting good shots. We’re getting great shots.”
Bruskotter led the Whippets with 33 points and 11 rebounds. Bruskotter also handed out five assists. Lantz knocked down 16 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, dished out five assists and had a teamhigh three steals.
Ramsey scored nine points, Baker scored six and had a team-high six
assists. Devito scored four. Tanner Hartz swished a three-pointer and Andy Brubaker scored three.
Shelby now turns their attention to Friday’s game against long-time rival Willard.
The Whippets travel to Willard in a contest that features the state’s thirdranked Whippets against the 10th-ranked Flashes and two of the state’s best players, Shelby’s Bruskotter and Willard’s Max Dawson.
Both players were Allohioans last year and are sure to be again this year.
Shelby will enter the contest with a 20-2 record while the Flashes are 17-3. Both teams will be playing in the loaded Division 2 Northwest District 3 OHSAA tournament bracket.
Shelby is the No. 1 seed.
The Flashes are the No. 3 seed.
The Shelby junior varsity was also victorious, routing Upper 80-56.
The JV had four players hit double digits, led by Gavin Miller’s 19 points. Andy Brubaker followed with 17 points, Avery Lambert knocked down 14 points and Conner Hartz scored 10.
Kaden Price and Cohen Sturts both scored six. Braxton Dawson scored five and Michael Shepherd scored three.
Scott Rose was also honored Saturday night for his many years of dedication to Shelby basketball.
Rose was awarded the Charles C.W. Williams Sixth Man Award.