SHELBYVILLE, IL. — Shelbyville Moulton basketball was behind the curve in their season-opening tournaments. But on Saturday as they started conference play, the Ram 7th and Ram 8th were ahead of the curve, sweeping Warrensburg. Ram 7th won, 36-32, and Ram 8th won, 36-23.

Ram 7th and 8th lost their first two games of the season at their respective tournaments last week. They played well, just not good enough to win. On Saturday, they played well and good enough to win well.

In the 7th grade prelim game, Shelby trailed 8-4.

. Warrensburg’s head-n-shoulders taller big man then got into foul trouble as the Rams went to full-court pressure in the 2nd period. The Rams stole the ball to start the 2nd and Payton Howell put it in, 8-6. They stole the ball again and Tylr Gottfriedt scored, 8-8.

The Rams caused another turnover, then on an inbound play Quinn Martz buried a jumper for the lead, 10-8. Turner Pullen had a steal with 3:00 left in the half and got it to Daythan Summers in transition for a two and a 13-8 lead. Gottfriedt hit his own inbound play jumper for a 15-10 lead. Howell made both ends of a 1-and-1 and Shelby led 17-15 at the break.

Warrensburg tied the game to start the 3rd, but Pullen made his own put back, 19-17. Warrensburg tied it right back and 3:00 later Pullen made a spin move on the block against the Cardinal Big and banked it in for two, 21-19.

Summers to Cade Watson converted on a transition, 23-19 Rams. Pullen added a free throw, 24-19. The Rams pressured the ball and Mason Cameron poked the ball away. Watson got it to Pullen for the two, 26-19. With 11 seconds in the 3rd, the Ram defense forced a travel. In transition Gottfriedt got the ball to Watson for two and a 28-19 lead heading into the 4th.

Warrensburg stole the ball and scored and then took a Ram miss the other way for a score to close to within five, 28-23. The Rams missed six straight free throws and left the door open for Warrensburg.

Cameron closed that door a bit, stealing an inbound pass and banking in the two, 30-23. Pullen stole the ball and was fouled, making both foul shots, 32-23. Warrensburg’s big scored on a put back, then converted a Ram miss, 32-27.

The Rams went into a stall, weaving up top. Martz was fouled and made 1-of-2, 33-27. Warrensburg’s big man fouled out. The Rams stalled again for 25 seconds then found Pullen open underneath for two, 35-27 Rams.

Watson stole the ball and Summers was fouled, splitting a pair, 36-27 Rams. With 1:21 left in the game, Coach Stu Hott put in Ram subs. With 56 seconds left W-L, who still had some starters on the floor, scored, 36-29.

With 36 seconds a W-L starter scored, 36-31. With  15 seconds left, W-L made 1-of-2 foul shots, 36-32 Rams. With 12 seconds left the Rams missed two free throws. With 3 seconds in the game W-L lifted a 3-pointer, but missed. The Rams had enough clock left to get the bench some floor time and still win by four points.

The Ram 7th team approach played out, except for the scoring leader Turner Pullen. Pullen led with 12 points, getting his two buckets, but also getting to the line four times, for 4-of-7 foul shooting. Seven other Ram scorers combined for 24 points (3+ points each). Tylr Gottfriedt had three buckets, Howell and Watson had two scores each.

Saturday

7th

Shelbyville 36, Warrensburg 32

W-L      8-7-4-13—32

Shelby  4-13-11-9—36

Ram stats: Pullen 12 (4 FGs, 4/7 FTs), Gottfriedt 6 (3 FGs, 0/3 FTs), Watson 4 (2 FGs,0/2 FTs), Howell 4 (FG, 2/4 FTs), Summers 3 (FG, 1/2 FTs), Martz 3 (FG, 1/2 FTs). Cameron 2 (FG), Peyton Koonce 2 (FG). Team FGs 14. Team FTs 8-of-22.

In the prime-time matinee, Shelby 8th scored in double figures in the finsl three quarters and just kept pulling away from Warrensburg for the 13-point win, 36-23.

Keaton Plummer stole the ball and made the bucket to tie the game with 3:0 in the 1st. Dillon Birch then buried a jumper from the free throw line for the lead, 4-2. Keaton Plummer stole the ball again, was fouled, and made 1-of-2 shots, 5-2. The Rams led 5-4 after the 1st.

Keaton Plummer knocked down a trey to put Shelby up 8-4 in the 3rd, then Birch hit a shot again from the elbow, 10-4.

Jackson Gambrill stole the ball in the paint, got it to Hunter Plummer and he found Grant Sims for two, 12-6. Another Ram steal and Hunter Plummer to Sims again, made it 14-6 Rams. Leading 14-9, Justin Hopper made a jumper, 16-9. A final fast break by Warrensburg cut the lead to five at the half, 16-11.

After the break, Sims scored two more times in the 3rd, as did Lyle Jefson. Keaton Plummer scored once and the Rams extended their lead to eight points heading into 4th, 26-18.

Down the stretch, Warrensburg got eight free throw attempts, but made just three, plus one bucket, not enough to make up the deficit. Meanwhile the Rams pulled away further. Hunter Plummer had a two and Sims exploded for a two, 1-of-2 free throws, and two more buckets. Sims scored 7 of his game-high 13 points in crunch time.

8th

Shelbyville 36, Warrensburg 23

W-L      4-7-7-5—23

Shelby  5-11-10-10—36

Ram stats: Sims 13 (6 FGs, 1/2 FTs), K. Plummer 8 (2-2s, 1-3 pt FGs, 1/2 FTs), H. Plummer 4 (2 FGs, 0/1 FTs), Jefson 4 (2 FGs), Birch 4 (2 FGs), Hopper 3 (FG, 1/2 FTs). Team FGs 16 91-3). Team FTs 3-of-7.

Shelbyville Moulton basketball plays next on Thursday, hosting Arcola with the 7th grade game starting at 6:15 p.m.