The young Shelbyville Lady Rams (1-2) got their first win on Tuesday, beating visiting Arthur-Lovington, 48-39, after the Shelby JV almost skunked Arthur JV in the prelim, 37-3.

The varsity Lady Rams messed around and instead of blowing out the Lancers, they found themselves behind midway through the third quarter. They finally pulled it out, almost inspite of themselves. They somewhat resembled the team that played at Bethany on opening night, but it wasn't an I.D. that would stand up in court.

The Rams played like they were slogging through mud, indecisive, and with little intensity. Five girls pulled out of a gym class could have almost beaten them, as they were content to work the ball around until they got it into the post or turned it over. It took everyone else out of the offense and robbed them of any aggression.

They led 19-8 with 5:00 left in the first half and were one the verge of blowing Arthur out. Then they went seven times down the floor without a score. They turned it over, then missed an open bunny. They turned it over again. They missed from the post and turned it over the next time. They missed an outside shot and on the seventh possession in four minutes they turned it over again. All that was while demonstrating no decisive intensity. It was a throw back to the pre-Florey days of girls playing basketball, instead of basketball players who happen to be girls.

Finally, Amanda Finley was fouled and she buried two shots for a 21-14 lead against a team that could only score in transition or from long shots. With under 10 seconds left in the half, Shelbyville let Arthur take the ball down and score on a backside post shot that was wide open, 21-16.

It only got worse after the break. Arthur scored easily inside to open the third, 21-18. After a near turnover, Katelyn Duckett got the loose ball and made a lay up, 23-18. Then Arthur started to throw up some bombs.

They hit a three, 23-21. Another near Ram turnover was picked up by Martin and, for once, she didn't hesitate. She shot it and it went in, 25-21. Arthur aired a trey, but the Rams turned it over again. They missed two free throws and Arthur sank a long two, 25-23. Two Ram misses and another turnover gave Arthur a chance to tie or go ahead. They hit another long two and got the foul. They missed the free throw, but the score was tied, 25-25.

The Rams turned it over again, insisting on feeding the post, and Arthur hit another long two to take the lead, 27-25. Arthur had gone on a 19-6 run over almost nine minutes.

Late in the third and early in the fourth, the Rams started to climb out of the total funk, thanks in part to a pair of Katelyn Duckett treys and Cinnae Martin asserting herself. They reclaimed a slim 36-33 lead with 4:17 to play. But, Arthur was led to believe that they could win the game and they drove for two to make it a 1-point game, 36-35.

Finley set a low post, again, but now Cinnae Martin set a high post. With the double-team on Finley, Martin was wide open and she buried the shot from the free throw line, 39-35.She did the same thing the next time down the floor and although the shot was contested, she buried it again, 41-35.

Martin blocked a shot at the other end and got it to Stefanie Shanks, who went coast to coast for two, 43-35. On a Ram inbound at half court with a minute left in the game, Martin waited as Brooke Eisenbarth circumnavigated the crowd of players to the backside of the rim. Martin lobbed over everyone to her and she made the lay-up for a double-digit lead, 46-35.

The still more intense Arthur defense stole the ball and scored on a fast break. Arthur pressed and with 42 seconds left Martin threw the ball long on a snowbird play to Shanks, who took it in for the score, 48-37.

Arthur defense at the point kept at it and blocked one shot and then stole the ball for a fast break two before the final buzzer,

Amanda Finley led the Rams with 13 points inside and at the line, followed by Cinnae Martin, who donned her Super Woman cape and willed her way to eight of her ten points in the second half, to turn the tide back Shelbyville's way. Katelyn Duckett was also in double figures (10 points), all in the second half, including two treys.

Stefanie Shanks was almost the fourth Ram in double figures, scoring nine from fast break scores and a nifty drive to the bucket in the half-court in the first quarter. Brooke Eisenbarth had six points giving a boost to the varsity off the bench, after scoring 22 points in the JV blowout.

Varsity

Shelbyville 48, Arthur-Lovington 39

Shelby 13-8-10-17—48

A-L 6-10-13-10—39

Ram stats: Finley 13 (5 FGs, 3/6 FTs), Martin 10 (5 FGs, 0/2 FTs), Katelyn Duckett 10 (1-2, 2-3 pt FGs, 2/4 FTs), Shanks 9 (4 FGs, 1/2 FTs), Eisenbarth 6 (3 FGs). Team FGs 20 (2-3 pt: Duckett 2). Team FTs 6-of-14.

Arthur stats: A. Tabb 14 (7 FGs, 0/5 FTs), Brough 8 (4 FGs), M. Tabb 7 (2-2s, 1-3 pt), Plank 4 (2 FGs), Chancellor 4 (2 FGs), Taylor 2 (FG). Team FGs 19 (1-3 pt: M. Tabb). Team Fts 0-of-5.

In the JV game, the Rams, led by Brooke Eisenbarth's 22 points, blitzed defenseless Arthur in a 34-point rout.

Ike scored four points in the first period, eight in the second, six in the third and four more in the fourth for a season-high 22 points. She scored enough in the first period to out-score Arthur. Arthur's only score came in the first period when Hatter knocked down a 3-pointer. They were blanked from there.

Ike (a two and 2/2 free throws) and Duckett (a field goal) scored all six of the Rams points in the first period for the modest 6-3 lead. Ike then scored at will, four times in the second. Sammy Hendrix, Amanda Finley and Tiffany Heselton added solo twos for the 20-3 Ram lead at the break.

In the third, Eisenbarth sank 2-of-2 free throws and a pair of deuces. Cinnae Martin had a deuce and 2-of-2 foul shots for all ten of their points in the period and a 30-3 lead. Down the stretch, Ike added two more scores and Hendrix added one. Heselton also split a pair at the line to cap the score and the 34-point whoopin'.

JV

Shelbyville 37, Arthur-Lovington 3

Shelby 6-14-10-7--37

A-L 3-0-0-0--3

Rams stats: Eisenbarth 22 (9 FGs, 4/4 FTs), Martin 4 (FG, 2/2 FTs), Hendrix 4 (2 FGs), Heselton 3 (FG, 1/2 FTs), Duckett 2 (FG), Finley 2 (FG). Team FGs 15. Team FTs 7-of-8.

A-L stats: Hatter 3 (FG). Team FGs 1 (1-3 pt: Hatter).