Bears tough out win over FC girls
December 8, 2021 at 3:44 p.m.
Bears tough out win over FC girls
By Will Fehlinger-
The Bears held a handful of double-digit leads in the second half, with the final coming with 6:30 remaining in the contest (34-23). Single free throws at 4:31 and 17 seconds were all Shelbyville had left but the scrappy Lady Wildcats eventually ran out of time.
Sophomore Nicole Mears banked one in to make it a nine-point game and junior Kassidy Schell hit 1 of 2 from the foul line. Though there were fewer whistles after halftime, they started picking up again midway through the fourth quarter.
Senior Alex Gillman was tagged with her third and the recipient, Wilmington College recruit Madison Phares, earned a technical foul with a little too much emotion. Schell missed both resulting free shots but redeemed herself by completing a traditional 3-point play; FC had drawn within two possessions at 35-29.
About three minutes passed with neither team converting a shot. At 1:16, Mears took the sphere all the way to the rack and drew the and-one opportunity. The successful charity made it 35-32 and defensive pressure forced a Golden Bear turnover, bringing up the decibels in the arena.
The Cats were unable to get clean looks in the final minute, however, and Gillman's shot was blocked with under four seconds to play.
Kiersten Schell found Mears for the tying basket early on before the Bears' Abby Brenner hit a jumper for the 4-2 lead. About a minute later, freshman Tiffany Billman sent a bounce pass along the baseline to Mears, who spotted up for the 18-footer. Free ones by junior Josie Rolfes and senior Jenna Bruns gave FC a 7-4 advantage.
Phares started a solid stretch with a trio of mid-range jump shots that had the guests up 12-9 a minute into the second period. Before that, a foul-plagued first frame – 10 total fouls with 1:38 left – ended with a Bruns pull-up in the lane and Phares' answer for a 9-9 deadlock.
Junior Macy Crain converted two chances at the stripe with 5:13 to go in the half but Madison Bassett responded with the old-fashioned three. The 7-0 Bear run featured four more freebies as fouls continued to mount. FC got single FTs by the Schells and Billman and trailed 21-14 at the break.
Ki. Schell fed Gillman to open scoring in the new half at the 5:22 mark of the third. Halfway through, Phares earned a 3-point play as SHS went up 26-16. Mears found Rolfes for 3 at 2:40 but Kylee Edwards answered with a triple of her own. Just below the 1-minute point, Bruns went coast to coast for a 29-21 score.
In transition, Ava Wilson put the Bears up 11 with the successful and-one. Billman and Phares traded putbacks.
Phares led all scorers with 15 and Mears paced eight Wildcats with 9.
FC (4-6) traveled to Richmond Tuesday (result not available at press time) and has a three-game homestand beginning Saturday afternoon against South Ripley.
Scoring
S (5-3) – Wilson 4, Cheyenne Eads 2, Edwards 5 (3), Brenner 4, Bassett 6, Phares 15
FC (4-6) – Ki. Schell 1, Ka. Schell 5, Mears 9, Crain 2, Gillman 2, Bruns 5, Rolfes 5 (3), Billman 3
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The Bears held a handful of double-digit leads in the second half, with the final coming with 6:30 remaining in the contest (34-23). Single free throws at 4:31 and 17 seconds were all Shelbyville had left but the scrappy Lady Wildcats eventually ran out of time.
Sophomore Nicole Mears banked one in to make it a nine-point game and junior Kassidy Schell hit 1 of 2 from the foul line. Though there were fewer whistles after halftime, they started picking up again midway through the fourth quarter.
Senior Alex Gillman was tagged with her third and the recipient, Wilmington College recruit Madison Phares, earned a technical foul with a little too much emotion. Schell missed both resulting free shots but redeemed herself by completing a traditional 3-point play; FC had drawn within two possessions at 35-29.
About three minutes passed with neither team converting a shot. At 1:16, Mears took the sphere all the way to the rack and drew the and-one opportunity. The successful charity made it 35-32 and defensive pressure forced a Golden Bear turnover, bringing up the decibels in the arena.
The Cats were unable to get clean looks in the final minute, however, and Gillman's shot was blocked with under four seconds to play.
Kiersten Schell found Mears for the tying basket early on before the Bears' Abby Brenner hit a jumper for the 4-2 lead. About a minute later, freshman Tiffany Billman sent a bounce pass along the baseline to Mears, who spotted up for the 18-footer. Free ones by junior Josie Rolfes and senior Jenna Bruns gave FC a 7-4 advantage.
Phares started a solid stretch with a trio of mid-range jump shots that had the guests up 12-9 a minute into the second period. Before that, a foul-plagued first frame – 10 total fouls with 1:38 left – ended with a Bruns pull-up in the lane and Phares' answer for a 9-9 deadlock.
Junior Macy Crain converted two chances at the stripe with 5:13 to go in the half but Madison Bassett responded with the old-fashioned three. The 7-0 Bear run featured four more freebies as fouls continued to mount. FC got single FTs by the Schells and Billman and trailed 21-14 at the break.
Ki. Schell fed Gillman to open scoring in the new half at the 5:22 mark of the third. Halfway through, Phares earned a 3-point play as SHS went up 26-16. Mears found Rolfes for 3 at 2:40 but Kylee Edwards answered with a triple of her own. Just below the 1-minute point, Bruns went coast to coast for a 29-21 score.
In transition, Ava Wilson put the Bears up 11 with the successful and-one. Billman and Phares traded putbacks.
Phares led all scorers with 15 and Mears paced eight Wildcats with 9.
FC (4-6) traveled to Richmond Tuesday (result not available at press time) and has a three-game homestand beginning Saturday afternoon against South Ripley.
Scoring
S (5-3) – Wilson 4, Cheyenne Eads 2, Edwards 5 (3), Brenner 4, Bassett 6, Phares 15
FC (4-6) – Ki. Schell 1, Ka. Schell 5, Mears 9, Crain 2, Gillman 2, Bruns 5, Rolfes 5 (3), Billman 3
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