BELLVILLE — Shelby trailed Clear Fork through 31 minutes of play Saturday night.
A 3-pointer from Alyssa Booker gave the Whippets their first lead of the evening with less than 60 seconds remaining.
Several made free throws from Shelby senior Eve Schwemley iced the game.
Shelby overcame a considerable deficit on the road Saturday and escaped with a 69-65 win over Clear Fork. The victory clinched the Whippets at least a share of their seventh straight Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference title.
“Down the stretch it could’ve gone either way,” Shelby coach Natalie Lantz said of Saturday’s classic. “We hit a three, got a stop, got the ball back and made free throws.
“It could’ve gone either way and we’ve been on the losing side of that before.”
When the two teams met in December, Shelby used a 23-2 run in the second half to beat the Colts 49-36. The Whippets, who haven’t lost to Clear Fork since February 2023, are now 13-1 against the Colts since joining the conference in 2018.
But the two teams have an immense respect for each other.
“I hope they make a run,” Lantz said of Clear Fork. “I hope they go all the way to state this year because they definitely have the talent to do it.”
Shelby seniors shine
Lantz didn’t mind trailing early in the action Saturday. In fact, she said she’d rather play from behind and have to fight back.
The experience of Shelby’s eight seniors play a big part in their coach’s confidence.
“We believe in the kids,” Lantz said. “They’ve been through this process. For some of them, it’s their fourth year on varsity.
“I think it comes down to experience and just confidence at the end. I felt a little bit of a momentum shift at the end and they stepped up.”
Schwemley led the Whippets with 32 points Saturday. Serena Ramsey added 10 and Booker scored nine. Chloe Mahek contributed seven points, Sophia Long tallied six and Natalie Kennard hit a 3-pointer. Charlie Niese scored a bucket.
After Clear Fork jumped out to a 22-12 advantage in the first quarter, Shelby outscored the Colts 40-26 in the second half.
Lantz said adjustments to guarding Clear Fork standout Melodie Blubaugh were key to overcoming a double-digit deficit. Long was tasked with defending Blubaugh in the third and Schwemley took the role during the final eight minutes.
“She’s (Blubaugh) a fantastic player,” Lantz said. “Most definitely a next-level player. I’m glad to see that she’s going to a good program, too. I just told her after the game how proud I was of her.”
In December, Blubaugh signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Mount Vernon Nazarene University.
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A game of runs
Scott Sellers never doubted Saturday’s game would be played with tournament-level intensity.
The Clear Fork coach said he felt the Colts played as well offensively as they could — as did Shelby.
“For two teams that are known for defense, neither of us really played a lot,” he said. “It goes to show you how you can win in different ways.
“I just thought (the Whippets) were awesome. I thought Schwemley was as advertised and I thought Mel (Blubaugh) was as good as advertised.”
Blubaugh led the charge for Clear Fork with 21 points, including four triples. Brinley Barnett added 19 points and Lillian Weikle and Hailly Thrush each scored eight. Rozy Stover contributed four, Asia Bechtel hit a three and Eliana Pelkey scored a basket.
Sellers said his message to the Colts following Saturday’s loss was filled with pride.
“I told the girls in the locker room, every game there’s a winner and a loser and I couldn’t have been prouder of how they competed and how they played it,” he said. “I think it’s what high school sports is all about.
“To be able to play a game, to be proud of your kids win or loss and to be able to shake hands at the end and really congratulate the other team. They (Shelby) do a great job of that and I think we do as well. It was just a fantastic game.”