Shelbyville ends 21-game losing streak to Franklin with 54-49 victory at Garrett Gymnasium

Becca Hoefler loves coaching with a chip on her shoulder.

Despite a three-game win streak that included victories over New Palestine and Greenfield-Central, Shelbyville was considered an underdog Saturday afternoon at Garrett Gymnasium against Franklin – a sub .500 program that had won 92 games over the last four seasons.

Hoefler wholeheartedly believed she had the better team despite her 0-9 record against the Grizzly Cubs and the program’s 21 straight losses to a team wearing a Franklin jersey.

Maddy Jones and Jayla Ash combined for 32 points and 11 rebounds to propel Shelbyville to a 54-49 victory where the Golden Bears trailed just once at 4-0.

“So we posted it all over our locker room. John Harrell predicted us to lose by three (points),” said Hoefler from her office after the win. “It said 22-2 in the series in the last 20 years. We posted it everywhere. It was pretty personal to us. We’ve lost to them in the sectional the last four years. For us, this was something that was a must win and we’ve been on a good little run right now and we wanted to keep at it.”

Shelbyville quickly trailed 4-0 Saturday afternoon then reeled off the next 16 points in a variety of ways by Jones, Ash and Hannah Baker.

That advantage carried into halftime where the Golden Bears led 26-20. And if not for a barrage of long-range bombs from Addi Bright, Franklin might have been buried for dead in the third quarter.

Bright connected on four straight 3s to keep the Grizzly Cubs within six points going into the final quarter.

Franklin’s Aubrey Leugers wasn’t going down without a fight. The junior had three consecutive steals near half-court and scored to quickly tie the game.

But Ash answered with a strong drive in the lane and score and Jones made 1 of 2 free throws to push the lead to 43-40. Bright quickly sank her sixth 3 of the game to tie it again with 3:22 to go.

Shelbyville always had an answer and an 8-0 run proved to be the final statement. Baker got an easy layin. Savannah Collins sank a pair of free throws. Ash scored on a backdoor cut. And Jones added two more free throws for a 51-43 lead with 2:04 left on the clock.

“The amount of work we put into the offseason is contributing to this,” said Hoefler, who lost 1,000-point career scorers Kylee Edwards and Ava Wilson in the last two graduating classes. “Every single one of these girls you see on the floor was at every single one of my summer stuff. They really bought into our culture and our program and I think that really helps.

“We’ve been in this position against a good team like this in the summer and I think that helps that they’ve seen it a little bit.”

Shelbyville does not have a senior on its roster. Junior guard Hannah Baker is the floor general. On Saturday, she only scored five points but had five assists, three rebounds and three steals.

Jones, another junior, has quickly become the team’s best 3-point shooter. She was 4-for-5 from beyond the arc against Franklin and scored 18 points.

Ash, a freshman, is the future leader of the program who is gaining valuable minutes in her first varsity season. She had eight points in the first quarter Saturday and finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.

“They are all really big competitors, led by Hannah Baker,” said Hoefler. “Everyone just kind of locks in. That’s what is nice about not having a star right now, everybody is contributing so we don’t have to rely on just one person.”

Franklin dropped to 6-8 this season. Bright led the Grizzly Cubs with 18 points. Izzy Stillabower finished with nine points and five rebounds. Leugers had eight points and three assists.

After starting 3-1, Shelbyville lost three straight. Now, the program has won four in a row including securing victories over conference competitors New Palestine and Greenfield-Central as well as Franklin. Hoefler entered this season with a 2-17 record against those three schools.

“I knew we would be competitive but I didn’t think we would be able to grind out these close games,” said Hoefler. Shelbyville’s average margin of victory in their current win streak is 5.8 points. “That’s what is nice. We are able to finish.”

The win earned the Golden Bears a holiday break before returning to practice just after Christmas to prepare for the Wings and Rings Winter Classic in Fountain City on Dec. 27-28.

The 8-team event hosted by Northeastern High School includes four state-ranked teams and none with a record below .500.

“In the long run, this tournament is preparing us for sectionals,” said Hoefler. “We know Roncalli will be this caliber of team, so will New Palestine. They will be just as competitive and want it more since we beat them during the regular season.

“I see this tournament as a way for us to grow and play back-to-back games and see what kind of moxie we do have to get through it.”

The event starts Friday at 9 a.m. with Lafayette Central Catholic (10-2) taking on Class A, No. 8 Tri (10-2). At 10:30 a.m., 2A No. 12 Brownstown Central (9-3) battles 3A No. 10 Indianapolis Cathedral (6-6).

Shelbyville (7-4) takes the floor at approximately noon against 2A No. 2 Northeastern (13-0). The final first round game pits Fort Wayne Wayne (8-4) against Kokomo (9-3).

If Shelbyville loses to the unbeaten Knights, it will play at 5 p.m. against the loser of the Fort Wayne Wayne-Kokomo game.

If Shelbyville beats the Knights, it will play at 8 p.m. against the winner of the FWW-Kokomo game.

The first-, third-, fifth-, and seventh-place games are Saturday beginning at 2 p.m.

Northeastern is averaging 65 ppg on offense and allowing just 29.6 ppg on defense. Junior Addyson Kircher leads the Knights, averaging 19.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.7 apg and 3.8 spg. Senior Ava Mikesell also is a double-digit scorer at 12.9 ppg and she averages 5.5 apg.

Northeastern has two more seniors and two sophomores averaging 6 ppg.

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