SHELBY – A pin drop could be heard when Alexis Booker walked to the free throw line.
The Whippets’ senior made a pair of free throws with just 27 seconds showing, and it was all the cushion her team needed.
Clear Fork’s Annika Labaki knocked down a 3-pointer as time expired, but Shelby escaped with a 30-29 victory Saturday to remain atop the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference standings.
Shelby coach Natalie Lantz said Booker’s offensive rebound, which led to free throws after being fouled, was a game-changing moment.
“Lexi Booker’s rebound there at the end was huge,” she said. “She’s an 80-some-percent free throw shooter.
“We want Eve (Schwemely) or Lexi to get the ball in that situation.”
Booker finished with four points, five rebounds, one assist and two steals.
Saturday’s game came down to ‘bounce of the ball’
When the teams played earlier this season, Shelby sprinted past the Colts 70-38. Saturday’s matchup wrote a much different story.
Lantz said the game was similar to trying to navigate a chess match.
Clear Fork’s, as well as other MOAC opponents River Valley and Marion Pleasant, match-up zone defense presented challenges.
“It’s a little tough to run just a normal zone offense. It can be tough to run a man offense against it,” she said. “So we’ve been working on just playing open and reading each other.”
Lantz added that patience, limiting turnovers, disciplined defense and rebounding were main contributors to Saturday’s success.
Clear Fork coach Scott Sellers said Saturday’s loss came down to “the bounce of the ball.”
“I think both teams played really well,” he said. “We played really well. Shelby played really well. Stats wise, they probably rebounded a little bit better than us.”
PHOTO GALLERY
‘Sometimes you just don’t win’
After trailing by seven, Clear Fork pieced together a 6-0 run midway through the second quarter, cutting Shelby’s advantage to a point, which held through halftime.
Shelby won the third quarter outscoring the Colts 5-4. But Clear Fork showed no quit.
“For how hard we played and how hard they (Shelby) played, it was a great win for them (and) great game for us,” Sellers said.
“I’m not for moral victories, by any stretch, but we played well and sometimes you just don’t win.”
Labaki drilled a 3-point shot from the corner with 5:44 remaining, which gave the Colts their first lead of the afternoon, 24-23.
Four lead changes ensued. Ultimately, Shelby’s clock management and Booker’s free throws helped the Whippets survive.
Lantz said she was proud of her team’s composure throughout the second half.
“Unforced turnovers (in the) first half about killed me,” she said, “but I really liked the way that we were very composed in the second half.
“We took care of the ball when we needed to.”
Eve Schwemely led the Whippets with 13 of the team’s 30 points. Other scorers included Serena Ramsey (6), Booker (4), Charlie Niese (3), Mallary Gundrum (3) and Maggie Bogner (1).
Labaki led her team in scoring with nine points, with help from Lillian Weikle (8), Brinley Barnett (6), Mel Blubaugh (4) and Kylie Belcher (2).
HIGHLIGHT REEL
Meaningful MOAC games remain for both teams
As of Saturday, Shelby continues to lead the MOAC with a one-game advantage over Marion Pleasant, who’s responsible for handing the Whippets their lone league loss earlier in January.
Shelby is scheduled to visit the Spartans Feb. 8.
“Pleasant is really good and we’ve got to go to their court,” Lantz said.
“They got us here (Shelby). That’s our first loss here in a long time, so we want to make a statement and go and play a little bit better than we did when they came here.”
While chances of at least a share of the MOAC title decreased for the Colts, Sellers said his team will continue to work toward their goals.
“We have a lot of goals as a team. Very few of them center around basketball,” he said.
Yearly goals involving the sport include competing for and winning a league championship, as well as a district championship, he said.
Clear Fork will host Pleasant Jan. 30. The Colts won the first meeting 51-42 earlier this season.
