Fast start carries Shelbyville to solid win at Southwestern

Shelbyville will be the lesser varsity-experienced squad on the floor most nights this season. That was not the case Friday at Southwestern.

The Golden Bears’ youngest player, freshman Jayla Ash, scored 17 first-half points to get her team off to a much-needed fast start. That momentum stalled in the third quarter but Shelbyville finished strong to produce a 64-19 victory.

Ash finished with a game-high 20 points. Junior Maddy Jones collected 13 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Addy Marshall had 13 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Shelbyville played without floor general Hannah Baker, who suffered an ankle injury Tuesday against Class 3A, No. 1 Greensburg. Junior Savannah Collins got the start at Southwestern and finished with nine points, four steals and three assists.

Shelbyville (3-1) led 41-12 at halftime but struggled in the third quarter and were outscored by the Spartans, 6-2, over the first six minutes of the second half.

“I was waiting to see if they would get back on track themselves. That’s what happens when you don’t have your leader (Baker) on the court,” said Shelbyville head coach Becca Hoefler, who admitted she let her team play through the third quarter before finally calling timeout to inject some energy back on to the court. “I was looking for somebody else to take over at that point. That’s why I called the timeout because I wasn’t happy with how low key they were about things.”

The Spartans did not score in the fourth quarter and dropped to 2-4 this season.

Southwestern honored the 2012 and 2013 girls basketball regional championship teams at halftime Friday. 

Senior Tanna Tatlock, her program’s most experienced player, led Southwestern with eight points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.

“She is one right now that plays all five positions for us,” said Southwestern head coach Jason West. “The last couple of years we’ve put her where we need her .. and she just goes and does her thing. She does things to get her teammates involved. She leads us on defense. The biggest thing is she is teaching the freshmen and that’s the most important thing for us going forward. She is teaching those freshmen how to play.”

Southwestern does not have a junior varsity squad this season. The 10-player varsity roster has four seniors and six freshmen.

“It’s a fun group and we are learning every day,” said West. “It’s more teaching this year than coaching. It’s been good. Tanna has raised her game. … She is playing as well as she has played since I’ve known her the last five or six years. She is bringing these freshmen along slowly and surely.”

Southwestern returns to action on Nov. 30 at Trinity Lutheran (1-1).

Shelbyville’s next four games are at William L. Garrett Gymnasium starting Tuesday with Beech Grove (2-3), a potential sectional opponent.

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