Shelby Whippets make history with win over Willard
WILLARD – The Shelby boys basketball blew open an early close game to bring home an 89-67 victory over longtime rival Willard on Friday night.
The Whippets become the first team in the school’s history to record 20 regular season wins, finishing the regular season with a 20-2 record.
In front of a packed house at Bob Haas gymnasium, the Whippets used balanced scoring and energy off the bench to rout Willard in a battle of stateranked teams.
The state’s second-ranked Whippets put five scorers in double digits, handed out 25 assists, shot a blistering 59% (33-56) from the field, and out-rebounded the ninth-ranked Flashes 34-23 in the romp.
“When we distribute the basketball, we’re a really good basketball team and tough to beat. Twentyfive assists is impressive,” Shelby head coach Greg Gallaway said. “We assisted on 75% of our scores. When we make that extra pass, we get a really good look and that’s what we need to do.”
Gallaway spoke about the Whippets’ impressive regular season record.
“The guys in the locker room deserve all the credit,” he said. “They have held themselves accountable all year. It really makes it more impressive because of the schedule we played this regular season. We played four Top 10 ranked teams in the state (Ottawa, Lexington, Findlay and Willard).”
All-ohioan Alex Bruskotter, again, nearly had a triple-double with 26 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists after he was held scoreless in the first quarter.
Brayden Devito and Casey Lantz provided the scoring in the first quarter.
Lantz scored eight of his 14 points in the first period, Devito hit for six (two three-pointers) of his 17 points in the first. Lantz also had a near triple-double, grabbing seven rebounds and handing out eight assists to go along with his 14 points.
“It’s great to see everyone step up,” Gallaway said. “Alex struggled in the first quarter, but Casey and Brayden really stepped up. When Brayden makes that first shot, he really gets going. Casey is playing really good basketball right now. He’s such a versatile player and to nearly get a triple-double just shows what a great player he is.”
Gallaway added: “Alex had a heck of a three-quarters. He struggled early, but still played well, then started making his shots. Another near triple-double just shows how well he played.”
Karsen Homan and Tanner Hartz provided an early spark off the bench for the Whippets. Homan dropped in 11 points, grabbed eight rebounds and grabbed a couple loose balls in his 13 minutes of play.
Hartz played his usually scrappy defense, hit a bucket, was assessed a technical and grabbed two offensive rebounds in his six minutes on the court.
The Whippets went on a 20-7 run to end the second quarter after the technical.
“Karsen and Tanner bring so much energy when they are on the court,” Gallaway said. “They play their roles so well and just love doing what they do. They don’t complain if their minutes change. They just give 100% when they’re on the court and their energy is contagious.”
Willard’s All-ohioan, Max Dawson, along with Cam Robinson provided the scoring for Willard. Dawson, an Ashland University commit, drained a game-high 36 points, 21 of which came in the second half.
“Max is a great player,” Gallaway said. “He can hit from anywhere on the court. I thought Issaiah defended him really well and he still scored 36. We had a hand in his face the entire game. He’s just one of those players that never seems to tire, just a great player.”
Robinson reached the 1,000-point mark for his career with a layup in the first quarter. Robinson ended the night with 17 points and now has 1,013 points in his career.
Shelby got off to a slow start, falling behind 14-7 before Homan was fouled after grabbing an offensive rebound. Homan swished both free throws, Devito and Lantz hit back-to-back threes, and the Whippets quickly gained their first lead of the game at 15-14. Dawson hit a three for Willard, and Lantz followed with a layup to close out the first quarter scoring, tying the game at 17.
The teams traded baskets to open the second. Bruskotter then got in the scoring column, knocking down a pair of free throws. Hartz then hit a layup to put the Whippets up but was assessed a technical for taunting. Dawson hit both free throws, then a runner to give Willard a 25-23 lead.
The Whippets then took control of the game. Bruskotter and Homan rattled off 18 of the game’s next 20 points to blow the game open. Bruskotter hit three three-pointers (13 points total) and Homan muscled his way for five points during the run.
The Whippets went from trailing by two to taking an insurmountable 41-29 lead.
After Dawson hit a bucket with seven seconds left in half, Bruskotter found Isaiah Ramsey wide open for a layup to beat the second-quarter buzzer, giving Shelby a 43-31 halftime lead.
The third stanza was a high-scoring period. The teams combined for 51 points. Devito hit three treys in the third for the Whippets. Dawson matched that with three of his own, but Shelby outscored Willard 28-23 in the third to extend their lead to 17 (71-54).
Dawson hit a layup to open the fourth quarter scoring, but Lantz, Ramsey (three-pointer), and Bruskotter all hit baskets to extend the Whippets’ lead to 78-56 and put the game away.
“It was such a great environment,” Coach Gallaway said. “The place is packed. Two great teams, and everyone knows the rivalry. The guys know the rivalry and really wanted to go out with a win.”
He said this “makes it even more special when both teams are playing well.”
Five Whippets hit double digits. Bruskotter ripped the nets for 26. Devito followed with 17, Lantz scored 14, Homan and Ramsey both scored 11. Bryson Baker scored eight and Hartz scored on a layup.
“We played great as a team,” Gallaway said. “Bryson seems to never get a lot of credit, but he brings so much to the team. He just does all the little things.”
“Issaiah got the task of guarding Max Dawson. Max got 36 but he had to work his tail off. I thought Issaiah defended him really well and made him work hard and was in his face the entire game,” Gallaway added.
Bruskotter grabbed nine rebounds, Homan grabbed eight and Baker ripped down seven boards.
Bruskotter and Lantz led the Whippets with eight assists. Devito handed out five and Baker dished out three.
The Whippets now turn their attention to the Division 2 tournament. The top-seeded Whippets will host Vermilion at 7 p.m. Friday for the sectional championship.
Gallaway spoke about the upcoming postseason.
“We met with the guys this morning. We talked about our goals and what we want to accomplish,” he said. “We’re playing really good basketball right now, and we need to carry that into the postseason. We had a great regular season, but now we start a new season. We need to stay connected as a group.”
Ticket information will be provided mid-week. Season/senior passes will not be accepted for tournament games per the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
The Shelby junior varsity team ended its season on a winning note, whipping Willard 51-34.
Conner Hartz led the balanced JV, scoring with 12 points. Avery Lambert scored 11, and Andy Brubaker scored 10. Cohen Sturts added nine, Kaden Price scored nine, and Michael Shepherd hit a free throw. JV finished the season with a 13-8 record.