By Mike McGraw
Executive Director
SHELBYVILLE – It is always the little things. The truth of that philosophy was never clearer than in Class 3A top-ranked Rushville’s 76-69 victory Feb. 17 over Hamilton Heights in the oft-delayed Sectional 27 championship at Shelbyville.
Both teams got their high-octane transition games going. Both teams were alternately sizzling hot and frigidly cold from the field. At the end of the night, however, one number jumped from the stat sheet.
Rushville (22-2) had a total of 18 offensive rebounds, most garnered by the 5’10” front-court duo of senior Alexa Bess and junior Shelbie Justice. Not only was the Lions’ dominance on the glass – Rushville outrebounded Heights 44-26 overall – the deciding factor in the outcome, it was also the determining factor in how the game was played.
A high-scoring first period saw both teams show some nerves by being a little careless with the basketball. Both schools went on short runs, and the quarter ended with Rushville holding a 23-18 advantage.
At least six of the Lions’ points came on second-chance opportunities. It foreshadowed a contest in which the Huskies (20-2) would search desperately for the one spurt that could bring them back to even.
It nearly came, but Heights would fall short.
With 6:25 to play in the second stanza and Rushville up 25-21, Justice – who would eventually pour in a game-high 21 points – picked up her second foul and headed to the Lions’ bench. Hamilton Heights immediately took advantage of her absence to go on a 5-0 run and take its only lead of the game at 26-25.
But 10th-year coach Melissa Marlow’s Lions responded with a 9-0 run to go back up by eight. And you guessed it if you said four of those points came on putbacks.
Despite some outstanding perimeter shooting by the Huskies over the remainder of the quarter, Rushville headed to intermission with the same five-point lead it held at the end of one.
A 13-4 spurt by Rushville in the third quarter seemed to put the Lions in control. Once again, at least four of the points came on second chances. It also didn’t hurt that Hamilton Heights went through a frigid four and a half minutes from the field.
The Huskies could not hit a jump shot, a staple of their offensive attack. It was at that point that fourth-year Heights coach Kurt Ogden made an adjustment that nearly saved the game for the Huskies.
He put his team in a full denial press whenever they scored, a maneuver that instantly had an effect as the Huskies closed the quarter on a 6-2 run to make the score 57-47 at the end of three.
It was obvious to everyone in attendance that Rushville was tiring as the game moved into the fourth quarter, and nobody could blame them. The Lions had not even practiced since Saturday due to the heavy snows in the area.
Heights’ press began to have more and more effect. The Huskies went on an 8-0 run early in the period to cut the lead to 63-57. As the final eight minutes progressed, the Huskies began to heat up from the field.
A 3-pointer by 5’7” junior guard Jessica Carr cut the margin to 69-64 inside three minutes, and another by 5’9” junior guard Caitlin Bischoff narrowed it to 71-67 with less than 1:30 to play.
The little things then reared their head again. Rushville missed two free throws on its next trip, but the Lions attacked the offensive boards after the second miss and caused a jump ball, the possession arrow pointing in their favor.
The play effectively ended the game. Given a second chance, the Lions sent Morgan Herbert to the line, and the 5’6” senior guard calmly sank two charity tosses. The Huskies never challenged in the final seconds.
Justice was joined in double figures by 5’8” senior Kaleigh Andrews with 19 points, Herbert with 15, and Bess with 11. Hamilton Heights was led by a stellar 18-point effort from the hyper-kinetic Carr, while 5’7” junior Libby Ogden and 5’9” junior Maddie Herr each added 13 points and 5’5” freshman Dakota Weatherford had 10.
Rushville’s dominance on the offensive glass was not a by-product of the play. In interviews with Hoosier Authority after the game, both Marlow and her players acknowledged it was part of the game plan.
The Lions now face the daunting task of preparing for a talented Western Boone squad in the first game of the regional with only two days to accomplish it.
The box score:
Rushville 23 20 14 19 – 76
Hamilton Heights 18 19 10 22 – 69
Rushville: Shelbie Justice 8-14 5-6 21, Kaleigh Andrews 9-20 0-0 19, Morgan Herbert 5-11 4-5 15, Alexa Bess 5-15 1-4 11, Meagan Hittle 3-5 0-0 7, Krista Beaman 1-2 1-1 3, Kayla Niehoff 0-0 0-0 0, Ashley Hedrick 0-0 0-0 0. 3-pointers: 3-13 (Herbert 1-2, Andrews 1-3, Hittle 1-3, Beaman 0-1, Justice 0-1, Bess 0-3). Rebounds: 44 (Andrews 11). Turnovers: 19. Totals: 31-67 11-16 76
Hamilton Heights: Jessica Carr 6-12 3-3 18, Ogden 5-12 3-4 13, Maddie Herr 3-7 6-6 13, Dakota Weatherford 3-7 2-5 10, Caitlin Bischoff 2-7 0-0 6, Catherine Carroll 2-6 2-2 6, Libby Diane Silberberg 1-5 0-0 3, Shelby Mills 0-1 0-0 0. 3-pointers: 9-22 (Carr 3-6, Weatherford 2-3, Bischoff 2-4, Herr 1-1, Silberberg 1-3, Ogden 0-5). Rebounds: 26 (Ogden 5, Carroll 5, Herr 5). Turnovers: 17. Totals: 22-57 16-20 69
A look back on the nine-day, multiply delayed Sectional 27 results plus the Feb. 20 3A regional lineup at Mt. Vernon (Fortville):
Game 1 – 3A #3 Hamilton Heights 70, 3A #4 Mt. Vernon (Fortville) 56 (OT)
Game 2 – 3A #1 Rushville 72, New Palestine 34
Game 3 – 3A #3 Hamilton Heights 65, Shelbyville 54
Championship – 3A #1 Rushville 76, 3A #3 Hamilton Heights 69
7. Mt. Vernon (Fortville) Regional
Game 1 – Western Boone (18-3) vs. #1 Rushville (22-2). 10a
Game 2 – Winner at Franklin County vs. #12 Roncalli (15-7). 12p
Championship – Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. 8p
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