BOWLING GREEN — This year’s Shelby squad has left their mark on program history.
The Whippets (23-2) have tallied the most wins in a single season, surpassing the 1956-57 team led by the legendary Larry Siegfried, a five-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics.
Last Saturday, Shelby boasted four double-digit scorers on their way to capturing the fourth district title in program history, defeating Lexington 62-52.
The victory punched Shelby’s ticket to the Sweet 16, where the Whippets will face Lima Shawnee (19-6) in a Division II regional semifinal at Bowling Green State University on Thursday at 8 p.m.
Familiar foes, Shelby and Shawnee have previously met twice in the regional semifinals.
The Indians defeated Shelby 59-50 during the 1998-99 season. Twenty-two years later, Shawnee shutdown the Whippets’ postseason run, 76-67, during the 2020-21 season.
Shelby seeks to continue ‘revenge tour’
Seniors on this year’s state-ranked Shelby team are aiming to make the deepest postseason run in program history.
Over the past three seasons, the Whippets have experienced their share of heartbreak.
Last year, Shelby’s tournament journey ended abruptly when Lexington’s Alex Depperschmidt released a layup with 0.5 seconds left on the clock, winning the game 76-74 in overtime.
Furthermore, the Minutemen defeated Shelby earlier this season in December — a loss the Whippets avenged last weekend.
Shelby’s 2021-22 postseason was also shutdown in shocking fashion when Mansfield Senior’s Maurice Ware hit a shot from the lower left block with .8 seconds remaining in regulation.
Ware’s heroics lifted Mansfield Senior to a stunning, 54-52 upset of second-seeded Shelby in the Division II sectional championship game.
The Whippets found redemption this season, defeating the Tygers 60-55 in a Division II district semifinal game March 7 at Ontario High School.
Shawnee leads series with Shelby, 2-0
The next stop on Shelby’s “revenge tour” takes the Whippets to the Stroh Center on the campus of Bowling Green State University.
After suffering a nine-point loss to Shawnee in the 2020-21 Div. II regional semifinal, senior Issaiah Ramsey is eager to take the floor Thursday night.
“This year is a revenge year,” Ramsey told members of the media after the Whippets’ district final victory. “We’re just going to keep things rolling…”
Ramsey, a freshman the last time Shawnee and Shelby met, said the chemistry amongst he and his teammates has helped lead the Whippets on another deep postseason run.
“Everyone on the team always hangs out together,” he said. “It’s so much fun and that’s where chemistry is built on and off the court.”
The senior has elevated his offensive production throughout the season’s second half and has averaged 13 points per game in Shelby’s three tournament appearances.
Ramsey credited his coaches for providing a boost of confidence — which couldn’t have come at a better time.
“I think my issue before was, I was under-confident,” he said. “The coaches really pushed me to be better and have more confidence.”
Indians’ season at a glance
Shawnee finished second in the Western Buckeye League this season with a 16-6 record and one conference loss.
The Indians rallied past Celina and Napoleon in the sectional tournament before defeating St. Mary’s Memorial in the district championship, 53-45.
Shawnee’s lone WBL loss came at the hands of the Indians’ and Whippets’ only common opponent, Ottawa-Glandorf.
During the regular season, the Titans defeated Shawnee 55-41 and Shelby 67-63.
Key player: Shelby’s Alex Bruskotter
Senior Alex Bruskotter has been a key piece to the Whippets’ success throughout his high school career.
The Wright State University commit has averaged 23.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game this season and was named Wednesday as one of eight finalists for Ohio Mr. Basketball.
A three-time All-Ohioan, Bruskotter was named the Northwest District Co-Player of the Year, as well as Player of the Year by the District 6 coaches association and the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference.
He’s currently Shelby’s second all-time leading scorer behind Siegfried.
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Key player: Shawnee’s Beckett Bertke
Beckett Bertke leads the Indians in points (531) and rebounds (206) this season.
The 6-foot-4 sophomore is averaging 21.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.1 steals per game for Shawnee this season.
Bertke sunk 178 of his 351 field goal attempts this season. He shoots 51 percent from the field, 36 percent from three and 75 percent from the free throw line.
Leading the Indians through a difficult Western Buckeye League, which boasted six teams with records above .500, has given the sophomore valuable experience to help his team seek a regional final berth.
Shelby postseason highlights
(Below are highlight videos from Shelby’s postseason journey thus far, with games against Vermilion, Mansfield Senior and Lexington.)
