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Sectional Preview: Golden Bears try to avoid Bull Dogs’ bite
Posted by Ronald Williams at Feb 7, 2014 4:00PM PST
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Scott Larrabee led the Golden Bears to a 7-13 record in his first season. Shelbyville takes on Class 4A, No. 3 Columbus North at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Bloomington South Sectional. (File photo)
Shelbyville opens Sectional 14 against third-ranked Columbus North
By Jeff Brown
Sports editor
Published: Saturday, February 8, 2014 8:05 AM US/eastern
A coaching change typically brings a new energy to a program. It is true in every sport.
Shelbyville was in dire need of a change at the end of the 2013 season following a 50-13 sectional loss to Bloomington South that punctuated a 3-18 season.
In came Scott Larrabee, who was working at Rushville as a boys’ varsity assistant coach and out went Amanda Norris, who was 16-68 in four seasons, ironically, to Rushville where she became a varsity assistant with the state-ranked girls program.
With Larrabee, the Golden Bears were moderately more successful, finishing 7-13 after a 48-32 loss Thursday at Franklin, with much of the same roster that took the floor in the 2013 sectional. The most notable change in the program came in attitude where smiles were more prevalent — after wins and losses.
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Where Larrabee takes the program in the offseason will be key. Shelbyville graduates four seniors, including three who start and are three of the top four scorers.
Senior shooting guard Riley Achenbach, a 2013 All-Hoosier Heritage Conference performer, is the only double-digit scorer at 10.7 ppg. She has committed to play basketball at nearby Franklin College next season.
“That is really exciting for Riley and our program,” said Larrabee. “It is certainly well deserved.”
Senior forward Taylor Pierce is the Golden Bears’ most consistent low-post threat, averaging seven points and nearly six rebounds per game.
Senior guard Allyson Conner has elevated her perimeter game this season, knocking down 33 percent of her three-point attempts to lead the team. She is averaging 6.1 points and her 1.9 assists per game average matches Achenbach’s.
The trio won just 10 games in the two seasons prior to Larrabee’s arrival. All he asked of them was leadership. And that he got.
“We talked about forward thinking,” said Larrabee. “You can’t change what happened in the past.”
The fourth senior — Bree Elrod — brings athleticism to the court, especially on defense.
There was no easy sectional draw for the Golden Bears, competing again in Sectional 14 at Bloomington South. They faced three of their potential sectional opponents during the season and lost all three by a total of 89 points.
On Tuesday, Shelbyville gets a second chance at Class 4A, No. 3 Columbus North (19-2), who defeated the Golden Bears 57-27 on Nov. 26.
“That’s the nature of the beast in terms of the blind draw,” said Larrabee. “The last several years they have been one of the best programs in the entire state. I’m curious to see how we battle against such a good program.”
Ali Patberg, a Notre Dame recruit, leads the Bull Dogs in scoring (18 ppg), rebounding (7.2 rpg) and assists (5.7).
Florida Gulf Coast Academy recruit Tayler Goodall averages 15.1 ppg and 6.1 rpg.
Kelsey Cunningham, committed to Wisconsin-Milwaukee, follows at 9.2 ppg and 3.7 rpg.
“We have to go out there and battle and compete and continue to play how we’ve played all season,” said Larrabee. “We need to eliminate their second-chance points, their points in transition and make them earn their shots from the perimeter.”
Once the season ends, the real work begins for Larrabee. His current roster also has no juniors.
That puts added pressure on current sophomores Morgan Parker (3.4 ppg), Taylor Perry (1.2) and Cassady Skipton (1.9) and freshmen Alexis Tackett (6.8) and Cora Reinhart (2.1) to develop quickly.
“We will continue to build the program, improve and get better,” said Larrabee. “We’ll be young, but there are a lot of young teams out there. We will continue to try and improve our weaknesses. We will focus on improving on the things we can control.”
The Lady Golden Bears Finish The Regular Season At (7-13 Overall & 2-4 In HHC Play) After Losing To Now (11-10) Franklin 48-32 Thursday Night. The Lady Golden Bears Will Take Their (7-13) Record Down To The Bloomington South Sectional Where They Take On (19-2) Columbus North Tuesday Night Second Game Tip Is At 7:30 PM.
TC holds off Shelbyville for ‘Pink Out’ win
Posted by Ronald Williams at Feb 4, 2014 4:00PM PST
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| Triton Central guard Samantha Dewey tries to cut off the momentum of Shelbyville guard Riley Achenbach during the first half of their “Pink Out” game clash Monday in Fairland. (Warren Robison photo) |
Fifth-ranked Tigers savor emotional night with 43-37 victory
By Ross Flint
Staff writer
FAIRLAND — Despite a season-low six points from leading scorer Samantha Dewey, the Class 2A, fifth-ranked Triton Central girls’ basketball team held off Shelbyville, 43-37, on Pink Out Night.
With freshman Alexis Tackett locking down Dewey, other players had to step up. And they did.
Sarah Rogian finished with a double-double (15 points, 15 rebounds) and Allison Gill scored 11 points, including shooting 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Gill’s 3-pointer with 3:44 left in the third quarter gave Triton Central (12-5) the lead for good at 29-26.
The Tigers then survived a valiant comeback effort by the Golden Bears (7-12).
“I told the girls, ‘Welcome to playoff basketball,’” Triton Central coach Bryan Graham said. “That’s playoff basketball. Physical, going at each other back and forth, and whoever executes and hits free throws at the end. They (Shelbyville) played their butts off.”
Taylor Pierce’s layup cut Triton Central’s lead to one and the two teams traded leads the rest of the quarter.
The Tigers led 33-31 entering the fourth when they scored the first four points of the fourth.
Rogian knocked down a one-handed baseline jumper and Samantha Felling’s basket with 5:49 remaining gave the Tigers a 37-31 lead. But Allyson Conner’s 3-pointer from the top of the key six seconds later cut Shelbyville’s deficit to one.
“They (Shelbyville) played hard,” Graham said. “Sometimes just playing hard is the most efficient way of trying to stay in games. I thought our girls played hard. I’m excited just to come out of here with a ‘W.’”
Rogian’s put-back gave the Tigers a 39-34 lead with 5:15 remaining before Pierce cut the Golden Bears’ deficit back down to three.
Another put-back by Rogian gave the Tigers a 41-37 lead and with less than 30 seconds left in the game, Triton Central had a chance to put the game out of reach.
Instead, Conner stole the ball, but teammate Morgan Parker couldn’t get her shot to fall and Rogian came up with the rebound with 17 seconds left.
The Golden Bears sent Dewey to the line and she made both with 12 seconds remaining, and Conner tried to get a quick two by driving to the hoop. She missed the shot and Triton Central’s Erika McKee grabbed the rebound to close out the game.
Shelbyville coach Scott Larrabee was proud of how his team battled.
“We did everything execution-wise,” he said. “We missed some shots we’re capable of making. They converted on some plays down the stretch, but I couldn’t be prouder of the team and the growth we’ve had this season. I think it’s evident as we’ve closed out our last several games. It’s been such competitive (games) against good teams.”
Both teams got off to slow starts.
The Tigers turned the ball over 10 times in the first quarter alone and the Golden Bears had nine.
“The night is just tremendous,” Graham said. “It’s so hard to go play a game at about 8:30 (p.m.) after all of the emotion. For both teams. For both teams. It’s more for us because we know about 90 percent of the survivors, everybody and their brother comes to the game, it wears on you. I’m just proud we executed at the end of the game.”
With freshman Alexis Tackett locking down Dewey, other players had to step up. And they did.
Sarah Rogian finished with a double-double (15 points, 15 rebounds) and Allison Gill scored 11 points, including shooting 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Gill’s 3-pointer with 3:44 left in the third quarter gave Triton Central (12-5) the lead for good at 29-26.
“I told the girls, ‘Welcome to playoff basketball,’” Triton Central coach Bryan Graham said. “That’s playoff basketball. Physical, going at each other back and forth, and whoever executes and hits free throws at the end. They (Shelbyville) played their butts off.”
Taylor Pierce’s layup cut Triton Central’s lead to one and the two teams traded leads the rest of the quarter.
The Tigers led 33-31 entering the fourth when they scored the first four points of the fourth.
Rogian knocked down a one-handed baseline jumper and Samantha Felling’s basket with 5:49 remaining gave the Tigers a 37-31 lead. But Allyson Conner’s 3-pointer from the top of the key six seconds later cut Shelbyville’s deficit to one.
“They (Shelbyville) played hard,” Graham said. “Sometimes just playing hard is the most efficient way of trying to stay in games. I thought our girls played hard. I’m excited just to come out of here with a ‘W.’”
Rogian’s put-back gave the Tigers a 39-34 lead with 5:15 remaining before Pierce cut the Golden Bears’ deficit back down to three.
Another put-back by Rogian gave the Tigers a 41-37 lead and with less than 30 seconds left in the game, Triton Central had a chance to put the game out of reach.
Instead, Conner stole the ball, but teammate Morgan Parker couldn’t get her shot to fall and Rogian came up with the rebound with 17 seconds left.
The Golden Bears sent Dewey to the line and she made both with 12 seconds remaining, and Conner tried to get a quick two by driving to the hoop. She missed the shot and Triton Central’s Erika McKee grabbed the rebound to close out the game.
Shelbyville coach Scott Larrabee was proud of how his team battled.
“We did everything execution-wise,” he said. “We missed some shots we’re capable of making. They converted on some plays down the stretch, but I couldn’t be prouder of the team and the growth we’ve had this season. I think it’s evident as we’ve closed out our last several games. It’s been such competitive (games) against good teams.”
Both teams got off to slow starts.
The Tigers turned the ball over 10 times in the first quarter alone and the Golden Bears had nine.
“The night is just tremendous,” Graham said. “It’s so hard to go play a game at about 8:30 (p.m.) after all of the emotion. For both teams. For both teams. It’s more for us because we know about 90 percent of the survivors, everybody and their brother comes to the game, it wears on you. I’m just proud we executed at the end of the game.”
Triton Central Defeats Lady Bears
Posted by Ronald Williams at Feb 2, 2014 4:00PM PST
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The Lady Golden Bears Move Their Record To (7-12 Overall & 2-4 In HHC Play) After Losing To # 5 2A (12-5) Triton Central 43-37. The Lady Bears Conclude The Regular Season Tomorrow Night When They Travel To Take On Franklin (10-10).
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| Shelbyville senior Riley Achenbach drives to the basket during the 2013 Shelby Shootout at William L. Garrett Gymnasium. On Thursday, Achenbach was one of four seniors to play their final home game for the Golden Bears. (File photo) |
Golden Bears close out home schedule with 53-36 win over Delta
By Jeff Brown
Sports editor
Riley Achenbach's final game at William L. Garrett Gymnasium included a game-high 15-point performance, a much-desired conference win over Delta, balloons, a laundry basket full of presents, plenty of tears and a prom date.
Now that's a pretty good haul.
The Shelbyville senior led the Golden Bears to a 53-36 win over Delta Thursday. She scored 14 of her points in the first half, including swishing a three-pointer from the top of the key just before the first-half horn sounded.
That gave Shelbyville a 37-18 lead and it never looked back. The Golden Bears (7-11, 2-4 Hoosier Heritage Conference) have won five of their last eight, with all five wins coming at home.
"It was an awesome Senior Night," said Shelbyville coach Scott Larrabee. "I couldn't be happier for this group of seniors. I am so proud of our improvement as a team and that's led by those seniors."
The seven wins ties a program high over the last seven seasons.
Finding an eighth win will be difficult. Shelbyville closes out its regular season schedule Monday at Class 2A, No. 9 Triton Central (11-5) and Tuesday at Franklin (10-9). By then, the program also will know its road through the very competitive Bloomington South Sectional.
The end is near for Achenbachand fellow seniors Allyson Conner, Bree Elrod and Taylor Pierce. Success has been fleeting for the program during their time in uniform but that doesn't make reaching the end any easier.
"We're having fun and that's all that really matters," said Achenbach, adorned in a pink feather boa and matching tiara.
Late in the fourth quarter, Achenbach was the only senior left on the court. Freshman Cora Reinhart crouched down at the scorer's table waiting for Shelbyville's leading scorer to make her second free-throw attempt.
She missed and extended her time on Frank Barnes Court a few seconds longer until she committed a foul.That's when the tears really started flowing.
Achenbach and Reinhart shared a long embrace near midcourt — a senior leaving and a freshman stepping in.
"I thought I was ready for the emotions to hit me," said Achenbach, who admitted she was even crying before the game.
The win, though, made it easier to smile and wipe away the tears during the traditional postgame reading of senior speeches by Shelbyville junior Betsy Suarez.
Achenbach opened the game with a 3-pointer to stake Shelbyville to an early lead. Delta (5-9, 1-4 HHC) recovered to lead on three separate occasions in the first quarter but a 7-0 run by the Golden Bears closed out the scoring and secured a 15-10 lead.
While Delta won the first-half rebounding battle, Shelbyville's defense still limited the Eagles to just 23 percent shooting.
"(Defense) was the No. 1 thing we talked about at halftime, and in timeouts and in between quarters," stressed Larrabee.
The second quarter was one of Shelbyville's best all season. The Golden Bears shot 70 percent from the field, made 6-of-9 free throws and committed just two turnovers.
Pierce and Conner drilled 3s early in the third quarter just to make sure the Eagles had no designs on a comeback.
Elrod was the only senior not to score. The softball standout was 0-for-2 from the field in the fourth quarter and had a steal.
Achenbach finished with 15 points, six rebounds and two assists. Pierce had 11 points, eight rebounds and two assists. And Conner added nine points, three rebounds and two assists.
At the conclusion of the game, five seniors, including manager Hannah Collier, were introduced to the crowd.
Achenbach was last. She hugged her fellow seniors as the emotion of the moment poured out of her. And once Suarez finished reading Riley's senior speech, she told her to turn around. When she did, she saw Blake Miller standing near midcourt with a big sign that had "Prom?" written on it.
Miller got a hug too.
Now that's a pretty good haul.
The Shelbyville senior led the Golden Bears to a 53-36 win over Delta Thursday. She scored 14 of her points in the first half, including swishing a three-pointer from the top of the key just before the first-half horn sounded.
That gave Shelbyville a 37-18 lead and it never looked back. The Golden Bears (7-11, 2-4 Hoosier Heritage Conference) have won five of their last eight, with all five wins coming at home.
The seven wins ties a program high over the last seven seasons.
Finding an eighth win will be difficult. Shelbyville closes out its regular season schedule Monday at Class 2A, No. 9 Triton Central (11-5) and Tuesday at Franklin (10-9). By then, the program also will know its road through the very competitive Bloomington South Sectional.
The end is near for Achenbachand fellow seniors Allyson Conner, Bree Elrod and Taylor Pierce. Success has been fleeting for the program during their time in uniform but that doesn't make reaching the end any easier.
"We're having fun and that's all that really matters," said Achenbach, adorned in a pink feather boa and matching tiara.
Late in the fourth quarter, Achenbach was the only senior left on the court. Freshman Cora Reinhart crouched down at the scorer's table waiting for Shelbyville's leading scorer to make her second free-throw attempt.
She missed and extended her time on Frank Barnes Court a few seconds longer until she committed a foul.That's when the tears really started flowing.
Achenbach and Reinhart shared a long embrace near midcourt — a senior leaving and a freshman stepping in.
"I thought I was ready for the emotions to hit me," said Achenbach, who admitted she was even crying before the game.
The win, though, made it easier to smile and wipe away the tears during the traditional postgame reading of senior speeches by Shelbyville junior Betsy Suarez.
Achenbach opened the game with a 3-pointer to stake Shelbyville to an early lead. Delta (5-9, 1-4 HHC) recovered to lead on three separate occasions in the first quarter but a 7-0 run by the Golden Bears closed out the scoring and secured a 15-10 lead.
While Delta won the first-half rebounding battle, Shelbyville's defense still limited the Eagles to just 23 percent shooting.
"(Defense) was the No. 1 thing we talked about at halftime, and in timeouts and in between quarters," stressed Larrabee.
The second quarter was one of Shelbyville's best all season. The Golden Bears shot 70 percent from the field, made 6-of-9 free throws and committed just two turnovers.
Pierce and Conner drilled 3s early in the third quarter just to make sure the Eagles had no designs on a comeback.
Elrod was the only senior not to score. The softball standout was 0-for-2 from the field in the fourth quarter and had a steal.
Achenbach finished with 15 points, six rebounds and two assists. Pierce had 11 points, eight rebounds and two assists. And Conner added nine points, three rebounds and two assists.
At the conclusion of the game, five seniors, including manager Hannah Collier, were introduced to the crowd.
Achenbach was last. She hugged her fellow seniors as the emotion of the moment poured out of her. And once Suarez finished reading Riley's senior speech, she told her to turn around. When she did, she saw Blake Miller standing near midcourt with a big sign that had "Prom?" written on it.
Miller got a hug too.
