Golden Bears produce impressive win over Columbus East

Shelbyville’s 11^th win of the season may be its most impressive.

The Golden Bears fell behind early to Columbus East, 15-4, then soon after lost second-leading scorer Mar Nicholson to an injury. And Brody Runnebohm was in early foul trouble.

All Shelbyville did was outscore the Olympians 23-10 in the second quarter and score the first eight points of the third which turned an 11-point deficit into a 40-25 lead.

Columbus East, who entered the game 9-1, never got closer than eight points the rest of the game and lost 65-52 to a Shelbyville team that has now matched its win total from last season.

“We had a lot of guys step up, especially when Mar went down. He bumped his tailbone on the ground,” said Shelbyville head coach John Hartnett Jr. “We thought it would be the safe play to hold him out until we play Saturday in a huge conference game.”

Nicholson (15.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg) (photo) slashed to the rim and rose for a shot but contact forced him to land awkwardly, and he laid on Frank Barnes Court for some time clutching his back side. He eventually returned to the bench but did not return to the game. The Golden Bears have a conference game Saturday at Pendleton Heights.

Cole Schene and Kenny Owens provided an offensive spark that countered Nicholson’s loss. Schene finished with 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting and four rebounds. Owens had eight points and five rebounds off the bench.

“Everybody that played in this game tonight contributed in some way, but let me take my hat off for Kenny Owens,” said Hartnett. “When he got in the game he made an immediate impact. He just brings a different kind of energy that this team needs. He got us jumpstarted and I think we went on a 24-4 run when we got him going.”

A Gavin Reed 3-pointer and Owens offensive rebound and score cut Columbus East’s lead to 15-9 at the end of the first quarter.

Shelbyville had runs of 5-0, 5-0 and 7-0 in the second quarter and punished the Olympians from the free-throw line, making 8 of 10.

Owens scored his team’s final four points of the half for a 32-25 lead.

Owens scored again on a fast break run to the rim to open the third quarter. Damon Badgley followed with a short jumper in the lane. Reed hit a step-back 3 and Schene added a free throw for an 8-0 run that left the Olympians frustrated.

Shelbyville closed the game making 9 of 10 free throws in the final quarter to improve to 11-3.

Claxton and Reed (photo) each had 15 points. Claxton added five assists. Reed had six rebounds. Badgley finished with 10 points – all in the second half.

Keaton Lawson topped Columbus East (9-2) with 19 points, three rebounds and three blocks. Mason Reeves had 11 points.

Columbus East won the junior varsity game, 40-30. Eli Davis led the Golden Bears with nine points.

Shelbyville, one of three teams with one conference loss, travels to Pendleton Heights (5-6, 0-1 HHC) Saturday. Greenfield-Central (9-2, 3-0 HHC) leads the conference with the Golden Bears, Mt. Vernon (8-2, 3-1 HHC) and New Palestine (10-2, 2-1 HHC) in pursuit.

Shelbyville is at Greenfield-Central on Jan. 25.

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