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Senior Ethan Lambert and sophomore Mar Nicholson combined for 26 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots to lead the Golden Bears to a 50-44 victory over the Spartans.
“That was definitely a test for us with a tough, scrappy Connersville team,” said Shelbyville head coach John Hartnett. “They were physical and their guards rebounded very well. That was definitely a big test for us and we came out with a win.”
Shelbyville, now 3-0 for the first time since the 2018 season, proved it could win a game when it did not hit a bevy of three-pointers. On Saturday in the Spartan Bowl where the program is 0-4 in the last decade of the series, Shelbyville hit just 2-of-13 shots from beyond the arc – and one of the two makes was a half-court heave from Luke Brinkman that ended the third quarter with a bang.
“I feel like our height and physical play took over in this game with Ethan Lambert getting buckets down low and Mar Nicholson getting his rebounds and attacking the glass,” said Hartnett. “When the ‘3’ is not falling you have to find other things to do – and that is attack the glass and get offensive rebounds and putbacks.”
The strong play of Lambert and Nicholson also put Connersville’s only low-post threat in Blaine Hornsby (photo, guarded by Lambert) in foul trouble. The senior still finished with 13 points and eight rebounds but was never really a factor in the game.
Lambert, a senior forward, saw his minutes limited in Shelbyville’s 49-44 win at Triton Central one week earlier but responded with a powerful performance against an opponent that could not keep him away from the basket.
“We knew we were bigger than these guys and their biggest guy was 6-4 and I’ve got four or five of those guys,” said Hartnett. “Ethan Lambert played a heck of a game. He came out fired up and ready to go.
“Ethan knows that his strength is a lot stronger than a lot of people. He did a great job taking advantage down low, along with Mar Nicholson getting those offensive rebounds and putbacks.”
Shelbyville sophomore Brody Runnebohm
Shelbyville led 10-6 and 21-19 after each of the first two quarters but finally found separation in the third quarter. Lambert had six points and four rebounds in the quarter and the Golden Bears shot 57% from the field.
The quarter ended with a loose ball rebound punched away from the Connersville basket. Brinkman ran it down as time was running out and heaved a shot from in front of the scorer’s bench that went in for a 38-31 lead.
An 8-0 run sparked by another Lambert score in the lane and ended with a Caden Claxton drive and score opened the lead to 46-33.
A 6-0 run by the Spartans kept it close but five fourth-quarter turnovers killed any comeback attempt.
Lambert finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.
Nicholson had a game-high 14 points and five rebounds. Claxton finished with 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Notes: Shelbyville’s junior varsity improved to 3-0 this season with a 39-27 victory. Gavin Reed scored 16 of his game-high 19 points in the second half for the Golden Bears. Carter Dunagan had eight points. … Shelbyville will try and start the season 4-0 for the first time since 2006 when New Castle visits Garrett Gymnasium Friday for a girls/boys varsity-only doubleheader. The Trojans are 2-2. … With the win Saturday at Connersville, Hartnett secured career win No. 28 in his fifth season with the Golden Bears. His first three wins this year have come against head coaches Kerry Brown, Mark James and Dave McCullough who have a combined 1,538 career wins.
Steve Bush photos
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