CAMDEN — Preble Shawnee’s boys’ basketball team concluded an emotional week with a pair of victories last week, before dropping its first game.
The Arrows opened the season with a 51-46 come-from-behind win over rival Eaton on Tuesday, Dec. 4 and rallied to knock off Northridge 59-52.
In between, the team mourned the loss of classmate Wyatt Clevenger, who died in a car crash the previous weekend.
“It’s been a roller coaster,” Shawnee coach Dale Spitler, Jr. said after his team’s 81-49 loss to National Trail on Saturday. “Obviously, what happened last weekend is bigger than basketball.”
Against Eaton, the Arrows fell behind 9-2 less than three minutes into the game and trailed 17-10 after one.
The lead was cut to three going into halftime, 27-23. By the end of the third period, the Arrows had evened the game, 33-33.
A basket by Bryce Singleton early in the fourth gave Shawnee a lead it would not relinquish at 35-33.
Preble Shawnee hit several key free throws down the stretch. The Arrows final 12 points all came from the free throw line.
Singleton finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Samuel Agee tossed in 16 points, grabbed five rebounds, handed out three assists and had two steals.
JJ Hatmaker contributed six points and had nine rebounds.
Jedd Geisen, at 6-8, made clogged up the middle in the second half as he made the Eagles alter several shot attempts. He added seven rebounds.
On Friday, the Arrows outscored Northridge 18-5 in the fourth quarter to pull off the win.
Singleton led the way with 21 points and seven rebounds.
Calvin Leeth netted 16 points.
Agee scored 12, to go along with seven rebounds and six assists.
Cole Haney had a team-high 11 rebounds and scored four points and Hatmaker had six rebounds.
On Saturday, Shawnee ran into a hot-shooting National Trail team.
The Blazers knocked down a school-record 13 3-pointers.
The Arrows trailed 24-12 at the first break and was down 48-24 at the half. It was 66-35 after three.
Geisen paced the Arrows with 13 points and five rebounds. Singleton had 11 point and six rebounds. Agee contributed nine points.
“It was an emotional game last night and back-to-backs are tough,” Spitler, Jr. said. “They just played really well.”
Shawnee (2-1, 1-0 SWBL) was scheduled to play at Waynesville on Tuesday, Dec. 11 and will host Dixie on Friday.
The following week, the Arrows will be at Franklin on Tuesday, Dec. 18 and at Carlisle on Friday, Dec. 21.
