FINDLAY — Karsen Homan’s career night could not have come at a better time for Shelby.
The 6-foot-4, 195-pound senior scored a personal-best 23 points Tuesday night to send the third-seeded Whippets (16-8) past No. 2 Upper Sandusky (17-7) 60-58 in a Division IV district semifinal at Findlay High School.
Homan shot 80 percent from the field and knocked down three triples. He also snatched 15 rebounds to go with two steals, one block and one assist.
A key piece to Shelby’s Final Four tournament run last year, Homan has battled all season through a lingering shoulder injury sustained during the Whippets’ Week 8 football game at Clear Fork.
“Mentally, it (injury) taught me to be a little more patient with things,” Homan said earlier this season. “It taught me to just grind things out.”
Tuesday marked the second straight game Homan has recorded a double-double. He had 10 points and 14 boards in Shelby’s thrilling OT victory last week against Ottawa-Glandorf to open tournament play.
The Whippets will return to Findlay High School on Friday to take on top-seeded Elida (17-7) in a Division IV district title game at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs defeated No. 4 Lima Bath 52-38 in the first semifinal game Tuesday.
Shelby overcomes topsy-turvy second half
Upper Sandusky edged to a 14-10 lead after the first quarter. Senior Brock Montgomery had six points through eight minutes for the Rams.
About two minutes into the second frame, Homan matched his season average of nine points per game. He tallied 15 by halftime.
The Rams never trailed in a tightly contested second quarter, but a conventional 3-point play from Shelby’s Michael Shepherd trimmed the deficit to 31-30 in the closing seconds of the first half.
Whatever adjustments Shelby coach Greg Gallaway made at halftime must have clicked for the Whippets — who opened the third quarter with a 7-0 run to reclaim their first lead since the first period.
Shelby stretched its advantage to 42-33, by the 4:14 mark of the quarter. But the Rams rallied back with Montgomery drilling a deep trey and Justin Heilman converting a steal and layup in the final seconds for a 47-44 U.S. edge entering the fourth stanza.
Two more buckets to open the game’s final eight minutes ballooned Upper’s margin to 51-44 with seven minutes to go. A pair of threes from Shelby’s Nic Eyster and Shepherd late in the quarter brought things back to a one-possession game with 90 seconds showing.
Upper Sandusky then missed four consecutive free throws to lave the window wide open for the Whippets.
Junior Brayden DeVito flashed his ability to go get a bucket when it’s needed most, putting in a right-handed floater to give Shelby a one-point lead with 21 seconds remaining.
On the opposite end, Homan stepped into the lane to draw a charge on Montgomery with six seconds showing. Landon Foltz split a pair of free throws on the following possession to put Shelby up 60-58.
Heilman launched a last-second shot from just inside half court, but it bounced left of the rim as time expired.
By the numbers
Still playing through the impacts of a high ankle sprain sustained in the regular season finale, DeVito finished with 13 points. He also had four assists, two blocks and a pair of steals. Shepherd ended with 10, to go with two rebounds and a steal.
Foltz and Eyster each scored five and Anderson Brubaker contributed four.
For Upper Sandusky, Montgomery finished with a game-high 24 points, complimented by Kaimen Iles who finished with 17. Justin Heilman scored nine and Josh Heilman contributed six.
Luke Schoenberger scored a basket.
Shelby returns for Friday night’s district championship game against top-seeded Elida back in Findlay.