Shelby storms to first final four

BOWLING GREEN — This Shelby team wasn't going to be deterred. These Whippets had been together too long, building toward something like this, aiming to go somewhere no Shelby boys basketball team had ever gone. And on Saturday evening it was mission accomplished — they're going to the state final four. "Us eight seniors have been playing together since we were in fourth, fifth grade, and that's what makes it more special," Shelby senior Issaiah Ramsey said. "We're going up against teams with transfers and kids from everywhere. We're going into a dogfight with guys beside us who have been together the whole time." The Division II No. 2 Whippets needed a 14-0 fourth-quarter run to topple No. 1 Lutheran West in a regional final at BGSU's Stroh Center, 55-46. Shelby fell behind by eight at junctures in both the first and second half but never wavered. "It feels really good," Shelby coach Greg Gallaway said. "In our tradition, there's been a lot of good basketball. We're talking NBA championships, All-Americans at Ohio State. This group is different. This group is just special." Alex Bruskotter, a senior finalist for Mr. Basketball who will play collegiately at Wright State, stated his case for the big award with 27 points, eight rebounds and four assists. He was 5 for 7 from the floor (2-3 3-pointers) and 15 of 16 at the line. This trip will be a long time coming for Bruskotter, who has gone to the state tournament most of his life with his father. Next weekend, he'll be playing in it. "We used to go to Columbus, and now Dayton," Bruskotter said. "I can remember from second grade going down with my dad... I can remember watching Norwalk (in 2014), that was like the only team around us that had made it. I just remember knowing that I wanted to do this when I got into high school." Lutheran West (24-3) hit two 3-pointers that could've been daggers. Derek Fairley stretched the lead to 37-29 early in the fourth, and then Tino Yli-Junnila made it 40-33 shortly after. That's when Shelby went on the most consequential surge in program history. "We just said one stop at a time was the main focus," Bruskotter said. "And then we got offense off defensive stops." Bryson Baker, a senior guard, finished an and-1 for three points the old-fashioned way to get within four. Then it was Baker kicking out to Bruskotter for a top-of-the-arc triple for a 40-39 margin. The Longhorns kept pressing, but the 6-foot-7 Bruskotter saw out of a trap, found Brayden DeVito, and the sophomore football quarterback found his senior receiver Casey Lantz up court for a slam dunk and a 41-40 lead. "That's why we're here," Gallaway said. "We've had moments like this a lot, in our league and our non-league. Credit to our seniors, and it's 100% the truth, they know how to play in those moments." Bruskotter made two foul shots, Lantz fed Ramsey for two and then Bruskotter lobbed to Lantz for an alley-oop layup. After one Lutheran West bucket, Bruskotter had a 4-for-4 trip to the line when he was fouled and added a pair of technical free throws. At that point, the extended run was 18-2. And, there's this — Bruskotter shot the final of the quartet with his eyes closed. "I had shot 10 free throws before that, so I already had a good rhythm down," Bruskotter said. "And then I hit the first three, and I always do that in practice." Soon enough, the party was on. Bruskotter jumped around like a kid in a candy store, and the Whippets raced to their packed student section for embraces. It had never seemed like a sure thing, until it was. Lutheran West built a 14-6 lead in the first before DeVito and Bruskotter each hit 3s to pull closer at the end of one. Shelby went up as big as 20-16 on DeVito's second 3, but the Longhorns closed the half with the final six points. Lutheran West went up 27-20 in the third before Ramsey drilled consecutive 3-pointers. "I saw one go in, and that instantly boosted my confidence," Ramsey said. "It felt really good." The Longhorns kept threatening to pull away and make their season-long No. 1 ranking hold up. Shelby, which entered as winners of 18 in a row, never let Lutheran West deliver a knockout blow. Instead, it was the Whippets with the pivotal punches and an unprecedented spot in the state final four. And after beating No. 3 Lexington in a district final and No. 1 Lutheran West in the regional final, the Whippets might just go to Dayton as the favorites for more history. "We've been playing together so long," Bruskotter said. "Obviously, they haven't. They just get whoever from Cleveland. That helps us... We're just so comfortable in these situations." SHELBY Issaiah Ramsey 4 0-0 11, Brayden DeVito 2 0-0 6, Alex Bruskotter 5 15-16 27, Casey Lantz 4 0-0 8, Bryson Baker 1 1-1 3. TOTALS 16 16-19 55 LUTHERAN WEST Matt Meyer 4 2-2 10, Tino Yli-Junnila 7 0-0 18, Jayson Levis 3 0-0 7, Derek Fairley 2 0-0 5, Josh Meyer 3 0-2 6. TOTALS 19 2-4 46 Shelby 12 8 13 22 - 55Lutheran West 14 8 15 9 - 46 Three-point goals - Shelby 7 (Ramsey 3, Bruskotter 2, DeVito 2); Lutheran West 6 (Yli-Junnila 4, Levis 1, Fairley 1)