RUSHVILLE – After a near-perfect second quarter, Shelbyville appeared ready to run away from Rushville in the season opener for both programs.
The Lions opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run and hung around to the very end before falling to the Golden Bears, 55-45.
The win was the eighth-straight for Shelbyville over its State Road 44 rivals Rushville.
“That is a much improved program from last year,” said Hartnett. “They had some guys really step up. … I thought we did a great job of when they struck back, we settled it down a little bit and iced the game at the end.”
Ollie Sandman (main photo) scored 20 first-half points to get Shelbyville an 11-point halftime lead. The senior finished with a game-high 27 points.
“Ollie Sandman did his job tonight. He went out and got 27 and got a victory,” said Hartnett. “(Rushville) did a better job in the second half of crowding him more and putting some pressure on him but he’s a tremendous scorer and is hard to stop.”
Jackson Parker filled a variety of roles, scoring 10 points, grabbing six rebounds, handing out two assists and blocking three shots.
Damon Badgley (photo) had seven points and five rebounds and Luke Brinkman sank all six of his free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter to finish with six points.
Rushville jumped out to an early 6-0 lead which forced Hartnett to call timeout. Parker followed with a three-pointer and the Golden Bears went on a 13-1 run and never trailed again.
Shelbyville connected on 8-of-12 field goal attempts in the second quarter, outrebounded Rushville 8-6, and committed just two turnovers to open a double-digit lead.
The Lions cut the lead to 31-30 with 3:19 left in the third quarter when Quentin Cain spun into the lane and scored.
Sandman counted with a three from the wing and Shelbyville pushed the lead back to 42-33 going into the fourth quarter.
The Lions got no closer than six points over the final eight minutes thanks to missing all five free-throw attempts and going 0-for-7 from the line in the second half and 2-for-11 for the game.
XxZavien Jenkins led Rushville with 14 points. Kameron Morton finished with 12 points. Dylan Thompson had seven points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Shelbyville won the junior varsity game, 49-30.
Shelbyville hosts Triton Central (1-0) Saturday at William. L. Garrett Gymnasium.
“We have to build off this. It was not the prettiest of victories,” said Hartnett. “We got the job done and we really need to get Saturday.”
Steve Bush photos.
Shelbyville 55, Rushville 45
SH – Sandman 11-21 1-3 27, Badgley 3-7 0-1 7, Brinkman 0-1 6-6 6, Parker 4-7 0-0 10, Claxton 0-6 0-0 0, Asher 2-5 0-1 5, Lambert 0-2 0-0 0, Schene 0-0 0-0 0, Myers 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 20-49 7-11 55.
RV – Cain 3-14 1-3 8, Jarman 2-4 0-2 4, Morton 6-12 0-2 12, Jennings 5-9 0-0 14, D. Thompson 3-8 1-5 7, Woolf 0-2 0-0 0, Corn 0-0 0-0 0, K. Thompson 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 10-51 2-11 45.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
SH (1-0) 13 18 11 13 -- 55
RV (0-1) 7 13 13 12 -- 45
Three-point field goals: SH 8-23 (Sandman 4-11, Badgley 1-1, Parker 2-4, Asher 1-3, Claxton 0-4), RV 5-16 (Cain 1-2, Morton 0-4, Jenkins 4-7, Woolf 0-1, K. Thompson 0-2). Rebounds: SH 29 (Sandman 5, Badgley 5, Brinkman 3, Parker 6, Claxton 2, Asher 2, Lambert 5, Myers 1), RV 31 (Cain 6, Jarman 8, Morton 5, D. Thompson 11, Woolf 1). Assists: SH 11 (Sandman 2, Brinkman 2, Parker 2, Asher 4, Myers 1), RV 8 (Cain 4, Jarman 1, Morton 2, D. Thompson 1). Steals: SH 2 (Asher 1, Lambert 1), RV 3 (Morton 2, D. Thompson 1). Blocks: SH 6 (Sandman 2, Badgley 1, Parker 3), RV 4 (Jarman 1, Morton 1, D. Thompson 2). Total fouls: SH 17, RV 15. Fouled out: Cain (RV). Turnovers: SH 8, RV 11.
JV
Shelbyville 49, Rushville 30
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