Shelbyville Lady Golden Bears Basketball

Twisters swept away by Bears By BRIAN HARMON bharmon@shelbynews.com OLDENBURG — The Shelbyville girls’ basketball team’s win over Oldenburg Academy last year was noteworthy only for the wide margin of victory, as Shelbyville beat the Lady Twisters 99-20. In this season’s contest, Tuesday at Oldenburg Academy, Shelbyville once again came away with a big win, outscoring the Lady Twisters 88-23. But this year’s matchup with Oldenburg Academy marked something more significant than just another win in a long basketball season. It marked the return of Gwen Haehl. Haehl played in her first game since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee July 7 in an AAU tournament. The 5-foot-8 sophomore started at small forward and scored eight points in 15 minutes of action Tuesday. Although, she admitted to being a “little worried,” Haehl’s first varsity action since the injury and subsequent surgery went as well as could be expected. “It didn’t feel too bad,” Haehl said after the game. “It felt a lot better than a week ago in practice. A little sore, but they said that’s just how it’s going to be for a while. “What I’m worried about is I’m really slow on the first step, changing direction. When some girl gets by me ... that first step is hard for me.” The soreness Haehl feels is actually in her right knee, or her “graft knee”. Surgeons removed a tendon in her right knee and inserted it into the injured knee to form a new ligament. Said Shelbyville High School athletic trainer Kyle Witkemper, “Her surgery (left) knee is actually stronger than what it was originally. But she’s going to be a little sore on her graft knee. Sometimes the graft knee develops a little patella tendinitis, which she’s fighting right now. “She did well for being only three months and a week from the injury. The big test will come with the more competitive games.” “Competitive” does not describe the action Tuesday. By the time Haehl scored her first basket to put Shelbyville ahead 8-0 with six minutes remaining in the first quarter, the game was essentially over. The Golden Bears (2-1) held leads of 23-8, 39-12 and 65-20 at various points throughout the contest. Haehl, who averaged five points and provided a defensive presence off the bench last year, was joined in the scoring assault by Gretchen Haehl (19 points, 10 steals, seven assists), Katie Douglas (18 points, five rebounds), Susan Kolls (10 points) and Ashley Matney (10 points). Gwen Haehl will likely come off the bench in Shelbyville’s next game, Friday against visiting Pendleton Heights (1-4). Gwen Haehl was filling in for the injured Allison Berger (ankle) who is expected to start Friday, according to Shelbyville coach John Fair. “We’re going to bring her along slowly,” Fair said of the still rehabilitating Haehl. “She did well tonight, especially on the offensive end. It’s going to take some time, but she’s awfully courageous for working as hard as she has to get back as early as she has.”

Game Notes: SHS So.Gwen Haehl made her debut after ACL surgery 13 weeks ago with 9 points in the win. Other scorers: Gretchen Haehl 19; Katie Douglas 18; Susan Kolls 12; Ashley Matney 8; Katie Jackson 8; Lauren Murphy 7; Haley Wise 4; Jessica Horner 3

3A Rank School (Teams linked to schedules) Votes (1st) Prev. +/- Votes This Week 1 Fort Wayne Concordia (3-0) 2 Alexandria (2-0) 3 NorthWood (3-0) 4 Shelbyville (1-1) 5 Fort Wayne Luers (1-1) 6 Brebeuf Jesuit (2-0) 7 Northwestern (3-0 8 Angola (4-0) 9 Frankfort (2-1) 10t Benton Central (2-1) 10t South Bend St. Joe's (3-0)

Gretchen Haehl has a double-double with a career high 25 points and 10 rebounds in the loss to Columbus. She also had 4 steals.

GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL Columbus North stuns Shelbyville Axsom's basket with less than 30 seconds left helps Bull Dogs top 3A No. 2 Golden Bears. Special Reports November 18, 2001 Stacey Axsom's short jump shot with less than 30 seconds to play was all that Columbus North needed to end host Shelbyville's hopes of an unbeaten season with a 60-57 victory Saturday. Axsom's shot put the Bull Dogs (3-0) ahead 58-57 and helped North avoid a furious fourth-quarter comeback by the Golden Bears (1-1), ranked No. 2 in Class 3A. Shelbyville trailed 50-39 going into the final period, but Gretchen Haehl scored eight of her career-high 25 points in the period, helping the hosts pull in front by as many as three points. But Axsom's basket, four key free throws by Tina Bolte and two more by Katie Kuperus provided just enough offense to lift the Bull Dogs. Kuperus finished with 20 points, while Bolte and Bianca Mann added 12 each. Mann and Kuperus combined for 14 points in the third quarter, when North built its big lead. Haehl had 10 rebounds and four steals.