Shelbyville Lady Golden Bears Basketball

Twisters swept away by Bears By BRIAN HARMON bharmon@shelbynews.com OLDENBURG — The Shelbyville girls’ basketball team’s win over Oldenburg Academy last year was noteworthy only for the wide margin of victory, as Shelbyville beat the Lady Twisters 99-20. In this season’s contest, Tuesday at Oldenburg Academy, Shelbyville once again came away with a big win, outscoring the Lady Twisters 88-23. But this year’s matchup with Oldenburg Academy marked something more significant than just another win in a long basketball season. It marked the return of Gwen Haehl. Haehl played in her first game since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee July 7 in an AAU tournament. The 5-foot-8 sophomore started at small forward and scored eight points in 15 minutes of action Tuesday. Although, she admitted to being a “little worried,” Haehl’s first varsity action since the injury and subsequent surgery went as well as could be expected. “It didn’t feel too bad,” Haehl said after the game. “It felt a lot better than a week ago in practice. A little sore, but they said that’s just how it’s going to be for a while. “What I’m worried about is I’m really slow on the first step, changing direction. When some girl gets by me ... that first step is hard for me.” The soreness Haehl feels is actually in her right knee, or her “graft knee”. Surgeons removed a tendon in her right knee and inserted it into the injured knee to form a new ligament. Said Shelbyville High School athletic trainer Kyle Witkemper, “Her surgery (left) knee is actually stronger than what it was originally. But she’s going to be a little sore on her graft knee. Sometimes the graft knee develops a little patella tendinitis, which she’s fighting right now. “She did well for being only three months and a week from the injury. The big test will come with the more competitive games.” “Competitive” does not describe the action Tuesday. By the time Haehl scored her first basket to put Shelbyville ahead 8-0 with six minutes remaining in the first quarter, the game was essentially over. The Golden Bears (2-1) held leads of 23-8, 39-12 and 65-20 at various points throughout the contest. Haehl, who averaged five points and provided a defensive presence off the bench last year, was joined in the scoring assault by Gretchen Haehl (19 points, 10 steals, seven assists), Katie Douglas (18 points, five rebounds), Susan Kolls (10 points) and Ashley Matney (10 points). Gwen Haehl will likely come off the bench in Shelbyville’s next game, Friday against visiting Pendleton Heights (1-4). Gwen Haehl was filling in for the injured Allison Berger (ankle) who is expected to start Friday, according to Shelbyville coach John Fair. “We’re going to bring her along slowly,” Fair said of the still rehabilitating Haehl. “She did well tonight, especially on the offensive end. It’s going to take some time, but she’s awfully courageous for working as hard as she has to get back as early as she has.”