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| Shelbyville guard Chelsey Skipton (12) shoots from close range over the outstretched arms of Bloomington South’s Amanda Martindale (22) and Jacqueline Forney (23) during the first half of their sectional quarterfinal game Tuesday at Columbus North High School. Skipton led the Golden Bears with 14 points. (Steve Bush photo) |
Bloomington South eliminates Shelbyville, 56-23
By Jeff Brown
Sports editor
COLUMBUS — Shelbyville’s debut return to the Class 4A girls’ basketball state tournament was a short one.
In the Sectional 14 opener at Columbus North Tuesday, the Lady Golden Bears scored the first three points of the game only to see Bloomington South follow with a 19-5 run that virtually put the game out of reach.
When it wasn’t turning the ball over, Shelbyville’s offense didn’t show much interest putting the ball in the basket. That resulted in 21 total shots, according to the Shelbyville coaching staff, and for the third time in the last four games, less than 25 total points.
With its 56-23 win, Bloomington South (13-8) advances to Friday’s semifinal round where it will face 10th-ranked Columbus North (18-3). In the other semifinal, Columbus East (16-6), a 67-53 winner over Bloomington North Tuesday, takes on East Central (11-9).
Shelbyville closed out head coach Amanda Norris’ third season by losing seven of its last eight and finishing 7-14.
“Bloomington South is extremely tough,” said Norris. “We talked in the pre-game about having to do everything right to beat them. Were we capable of beating them? Yes. Were we capable of beating them tonight? That answer is no.
“I thought the girls that played the majority of the game, their effort was phenomenal. They played with so much heart and so much pride. You can’t ask for anything more. The only issue is we ran out of numbers of those willing to give it everything they had. It’s been a tough season. It’s been an exhausting season. Thirteen girls for 21 games plus however many (junior varsity) games we played, it’s a tough row to hoe. I think our girls did a good job of stepping up and attempting that feat.”
Shelbyville got off to a solid start Tuesday with a Chelsey Skipton drive and score. She followed that by drawing a foul in the lane and hitting one of two free throws.
Meanwhile, Bloomington South missed its first four shots which kept it from jumping into its full-court press. But once Ariel Turner scored in the low post at the 5:31 mark, the Lady Panthers turned up the pressure.
Alexus Shields hit a 15-foot jumper to give Bloomington South its first lead at 4-3, but Skipton answered right back with a drive and score.
Lexi Ingram swished a long three-pointer for Bloomington South and followed that with a steal, score and a free throw for a second 3-point play inside five seconds. Jacqueline Forney quickly scored again and it was 12-5.
Skipton would hit a 3-pointer later in the quarter, but would be the only Golden Bear to get into the scorebook in the first quarter.
“In the beginning of the game, I thought we were going to keep scoring pretty easily,” said Norris. “Honestly, I thought if we scored like that in the beginning, we’d have no problem scoring from then on out. It seemed like after our first couple of shots we stopped cutting and we stopped moving. They put that press on us and we struggled with the press. We shouldn’t. We didn’t have the cutters and the ball movement that we’ve been asking in the press.”
Bloomington South scored the final seven points to take a 19-8 lead at the first break.
Skipton hit four free throws in the second quarter, and Ashley Bush scored in the low post – but that would be all the offense the Golden Bears would muster.
Bloomington South sophomore Mackenzie McNew, the fifth player to come off her team’s bench, scored 10 straight points to give her team a 32-14 lead at halftime.
Chelsee Simerly, a senior playing her last game in a Golden Bears uniform, scored four points in the third quarter, which turned out to be all of her team’s points too.
Bloomington South extended its lead to 46-18 after three quarters.
Skipton finished with 14 points, four rebounds and two steals. Bush, a senior, had five points, six rebounds and three blocked shots.
Ten different Bloomington South players scored, led by Lauren Whitlatch’s 13 points. McNew finished with 10. Turner had eight points and seven rebounds.
In the Sectional 14 opener at Columbus North Tuesday, the Lady Golden Bears scored the first three points of the game only to see Bloomington South follow with a 19-5 run that virtually put the game out of reach.
When it wasn’t turning the ball over, Shelbyville’s offense didn’t show much interest putting the ball in the basket. That resulted in 21 total shots, according to the Shelbyville coaching staff, and for the third time in the last four games, less than 25 total points.
With its 56-23 win, Bloomington South (13-8) advances to Friday’s semifinal round where it will face 10th-ranked Columbus North (18-3). In the other semifinal, Columbus East (16-6), a 67-53 winner over Bloomington North Tuesday, takes on East Central (11-9).
“Bloomington South is extremely tough,” said Norris. “We talked in the pre-game about having to do everything right to beat them. Were we capable of beating them? Yes. Were we capable of beating them tonight? That answer is no.
“I thought the girls that played the majority of the game, their effort was phenomenal. They played with so much heart and so much pride. You can’t ask for anything more. The only issue is we ran out of numbers of those willing to give it everything they had. It’s been a tough season. It’s been an exhausting season. Thirteen girls for 21 games plus however many (junior varsity) games we played, it’s a tough row to hoe. I think our girls did a good job of stepping up and attempting that feat.”
Shelbyville got off to a solid start Tuesday with a Chelsey Skipton drive and score. She followed that by drawing a foul in the lane and hitting one of two free throws.
Meanwhile, Bloomington South missed its first four shots which kept it from jumping into its full-court press. But once Ariel Turner scored in the low post at the 5:31 mark, the Lady Panthers turned up the pressure.
Alexus Shields hit a 15-foot jumper to give Bloomington South its first lead at 4-3, but Skipton answered right back with a drive and score.
Lexi Ingram swished a long three-pointer for Bloomington South and followed that with a steal, score and a free throw for a second 3-point play inside five seconds. Jacqueline Forney quickly scored again and it was 12-5.
Skipton would hit a 3-pointer later in the quarter, but would be the only Golden Bear to get into the scorebook in the first quarter.
“In the beginning of the game, I thought we were going to keep scoring pretty easily,” said Norris. “Honestly, I thought if we scored like that in the beginning, we’d have no problem scoring from then on out. It seemed like after our first couple of shots we stopped cutting and we stopped moving. They put that press on us and we struggled with the press. We shouldn’t. We didn’t have the cutters and the ball movement that we’ve been asking in the press.”
Bloomington South scored the final seven points to take a 19-8 lead at the first break.
Skipton hit four free throws in the second quarter, and Ashley Bush scored in the low post – but that would be all the offense the Golden Bears would muster.
Bloomington South sophomore Mackenzie McNew, the fifth player to come off her team’s bench, scored 10 straight points to give her team a 32-14 lead at halftime.
Chelsee Simerly, a senior playing her last game in a Golden Bears uniform, scored four points in the third quarter, which turned out to be all of her team’s points too.
Bloomington South extended its lead to 46-18 after three quarters.
Skipton finished with 14 points, four rebounds and two steals. Bush, a senior, had five points, six rebounds and three blocked shots.
Ten different Bloomington South players scored, led by Lauren Whitlatch’s 13 points. McNew finished with 10. Turner had eight points and seven rebounds.
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