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Slow starts, missed opportunities doom Golden Bears in pair of road losses

With little margin for error to create winning performances, the slightest lapses in focus continue to plague the Golden Bears.

When Shelbyville does not match up well with the opposing team’s personnel, there are long nights. And when the matchup is favorable, wasted opportunities have allowed victories to slip away.

On Friday at Delta, Shelbyville allowed the Eagles to get out to a 9-2 lead that grew to double digits by halftime. An 8-0 run to start the third quarter extended the lead past 20 points.

The result was a 57-44 loss that closed out Shelbyville’s Hoosier Heritage Conference record at 0-7.

A stronger start and a Jackson Parker banked-in three pointer from the top of the key put the Golden Bears up 23-20 at halftime Saturday at East Central.

The offense then floundered in the third quarter allowing the Trojans to take a 35-26 lead that left the Golden Bears again in scramble mode.

Shelbyville twice cut the lead to two at the mid-point of the fourth quarter before East Central went on a 11-0 run to seal the 60-45 victory on Senior Night in St. Leon.

The Golden Bears are now 5-15 this season.

“It was almost like there was a lid on the goal tonight,” said Hartnett Jr. after Friday’s loss. “(Delta) didn’t run away from us early but we keep talking about these slow starts. We couldn’t put one in the hoop and they ended up hitting a couple of big shots to start the game.”

Delta (11-11, 2-5 HHC) used an 8-0 run to start the third quarter and built a 34-10 lead.

Jakob Heaton’s three-point play at the 5:40 mark of the quarter started a 13-6 run that brought the Golden Bears’ offense to life after scoring just eight points over a 12-minute span.

Shelbyville cut the lead to 40-23 as Delta tried to spread the floor and keep the clock ticking. Turnovers became an issue for the Eagles, who had six over the final eight minutes which helped Shelbyville get within seven at 49-42.

“Obviously, after you see what happens at the end when you force some turnovers you wish you would have done it a little earlier,” said Hartnett Jr. “I didn’t want to get our guys in foul trouble but I was proud of our guys for fighting hard and getting those turnovers in the end. Cutting it to seven doesn’t happen if we aren’t playing hard defense.”

Neil Marshall and Jackson Wors connected on six straight free throws in the game’s final minute to avoid the eighth-place finish in the HHC standings.

“I was really proud of our guys for fighting back all the way to the end,” said Hartnett Jr. “If we eliminate that start we’re close to a tie ball game but we have to come out ready to go more often. We can’t keep getting down when we want to win these ball games.”

Wors had a game-high 26 points and eight rebounds. Marshall had 19 points and seven rebounds.

Ollie Sandman led Shelbyville with 13 points. Nolyn Smothers had 11 and Heaton finished with 10 on a night when the Golden Bears were 6-of-28 from the 3-point line.

Luke Brinkman sank an early 3-pointer Saturday night to loosen Shelbyville up at East Central. Sandman then scored seven straight to get the Golden Bears a 12-7 lead at the first break.

A Heaton 3 opened the second-quarter scoring for Shelbyville and Parker’s last-second trifecta made it 23-20 at halftime.

Smothers hit a 3 with 5:48 to go in the third quarter to extend the lead to 26-22 before the Trojans scored 13 straight points and take a 35-26 lead.

That forced Shelbyville to go to scramble mode again and it nearly worked. East Central had seven fourth-quarter turnovers, but when it had opportunities to score … it did.

East Central (14-6) hit seven of nine shots in the final quarter and converted 10 of 12 free throws to hold off the Golden Bears.

Ryan Sehlhorst led the Trojans with 16 points. Caleb Mergenthal finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Jadyn Dennis added 12 points and five assists and Cooper Hoog had 10 points.

Heaton and Smothers each had 10 points to lead the Golden Bears, who played much of the second half without Sandman, who injured his right ankle on a shot block attempt in the third quarter and never returned.

Sandman finished with nine points before leaving the game and Parker had nine points and three rebounds.

Sandman was in a walking boot Monday and will be out of the lineup Tuesday when Shelbyville hosts Seymour (13-6). The injury also will likely keep him out of the lineup Thursday for the regular-season finale when Batesville (9-12) visits Garrett Gymnasium.

That would allow Sandman, who averages 21 ppg, a week-plus to rest ahead of the Golden Bears’ sectional opener March 1 against Franklin.

 

Delta 57, Shelbyville 44

SH: Sandman 3-10 5-8 13, Brinkman 1-6 0-0 2, Parker 1-3 0-0 2, Heaton 4-16 1-1 10, Smothers 4-10 0-0 11, Macaluso 0-0 0-0 0, Asher 1-3 1-4 3, Lambert 0-1 0-0 0, Myers 0-0 3-4 3, Badgley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 19-49 10-17 44.

DE: Marshall 6-12 5-5 19, Manor 0-0 0-0 0, Furney 1-6 1-2 4, Hood 2-5 1-3 6, Wors 9-14 8-8 26, Bragg 0-1 0-0 0, Faletic 0-0 0-0 0, B. Jones 1-2 0-0 2, C. Jones 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 19-41 15-18 57.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

SH (5-14, 0-7)      5    5  13  21  --  44

DE (11-11, 2-5)  12  14  14  17  --  57

Three-point field goals: SH 6-28 (Sandman 2-8, Brinkman 0-4, Parker 0-1, Heaton 1-6, Smothers 3-7, Asher 0-2), DE 4-17 (Marshall 2-7, Furney 1-6, Hood 1-2, B. Jones 0-1, Bragg 0-1). Rebounds: SH 20 (Sandman 6, Brinkman 3, Heaton 5, Smothers 1, Asher 3, Lambert 2), DE 30 (Marshall 7, Manor 1, Furney 4, Hood 8, Wors 8, Bragg 1, C. Jones 1). Assists: SH 6 (Heaton 3, Smothers 1, Lambert 2), SE 9 (Manor 2, Furney 2, Hood 2, Wors 1, Bragg 1, C. Jones 1). Steals: SH 3 (Brinkman 1, Heaton 1, Lambert 1), DE 5 (Manor 2, Furney 1, Hood 1, B. Jones 1). Blocks: SH 2 (Sandman 2), DE 2 (Marshall 1, Furney 1). Total fouls: SH 16, DE 16. Fouled out: Asher (SH). Turnovers: SH 10, DE 13.

 

East Central 60, Shelbyville 45

SH: Sandman 4-11 0-0 9, Brinkman 2-6 1-2 7, Parker 1-5 6-6 9, Heaton 3-9 3-3 10, Smothers 4-11 2-7 10, Asher 0-1 0-0 0, Lambert 0-0 0-0 0, Myers 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 14-44 10-11 45.

EC: Dennis 4-9 4-5 12, Mergenthal 4-12 2-2 13, Hoog 4-5 2-3 10, Sehlhurst 6-9 2-2 16, McQueen 2-4 2-3 6, Pieczonka 0-0 0-0 0, Maxwell 0-0 0-0 0. Brotherton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 21-40 12-15 60.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

SH (5-15)  12  11   3  19  -- 45

EC (14-6)    7  13  15  25  --  60

Three-point field goals: SH 7-24 (Sandman 1-5, Brinkman 2-5, Parker 1-3, Heaton 1-3, Smothers 2-7, Asher 0-1), EC 6-14 (Dennis 0-4, Mergenthal 3-6, Sehlhorst 2-3, Sizemore 1-1). Rebounds: SH 12 (Sandman 1, Brinkman 4, Parker 3, Heaton 3, Asher 1), EC 27 (Dennis 4, Mergenthal 7, Hoog 6, Sehlhorst 1, McQueen 7, Maxwell 2). Assists: SH 4 (Brinkman 2, Heaton 1, Smothers 1), EC 15 (Dennis 5, Mergenthal 3, Sehlhorst 2, McQueen 2, Pieczonka 2, Maxwell 1). Steals: SH 4 (Sandman 2, Brinkman 1, Heaton 1), EC 4 (Hoog 2, Sehlhorst 1, McQueen 1). Blocks: SH 1 (Sandman 1), EC 4 (Dennis 2, Hoog 1, Sehlhorst 1). Total fouls: SH 15, EC 12. Turnovers: SH 12, EC 15.

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