CAMDEN — The Preble Shawnee Arrows girls basketball team picked up its first victory of the season, defeating Dixie at home on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
The Arrows were led by freshman Nicole Sims, who scored a team high 22 points and dished out six assists in the 64-42 victory.
It was the first home game of the season for the Arrows, and they got off to a quick start, winning the first quarter 22-9. The team went on to maintain a double digit lead the majority of the game.
Shelbie Brown had a big game for the Arrows, scoring 12 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Riane Woodard led the team with 11 rebounds. Chloe Smith also scored 12 points.
The Arrows had eight players score in the game while holding Dixie to just 28 percent shooting.
On Thursday, Dec. 10, the team held a nine point lead heading into the fourth quarter but was unable to hold on, falling 58-56 at Carlisle.
The Arrows shot 48 percent, but turned the ball over 25 times and missed 10-21 free throw attempts in the two-point loss. Carlisle shot just 30 percent but turned the ball over 11 times less than the Arrows in the victory.
Smith led all scorers in the game with 18, including 6-8 from the line and 2-4 from three. Elise Walker had her best game of the young season with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Woodard had her second double digit rebounding game of the week, pulling down 10.
Kelsey Minton led Carlisle with 17 points.
On Saturday, Dec. 12, the Arrows traveled to Miami Valley for a tough non-conference game and found themselves on the wrong end of a blowout.
Miami Valley jumped out to 20-8 lead after the first quarter. Miami Valley built on its early lead and took a 40-17 lead into the break at halftime.
The score never got close and the Arrows fell 68-37.
Smith was the only Arrow in double figures — she scored 12 points.
The Arrows play at Waynesville on Tuesday, Dec. 15, before hosting Northridge on Thursday, Dec. 17.
Last week
The Preble Shawnee Lady Arrows dropped two games in the opening week of the season, losing to Hamilton-Badin 43-30 on Monday, Nov. 30, and to Milton-Union 41-35, on Thursday, Dec. 3.
Against Badin the Arrows struggled from the field, shooting just 18.8 percent for the game and going 9-48 from the field in the team’s first road game of the season.
“The ball just wasn’t falling, just going in-and-out of the rim,” head coach Joe Webster said afterward. “We just haven’t found scorers yet, and eventually they will score or we will take a few knocks on the head early.”
The team also turned the ball over 21 times, but Webster was not surprised his young team struggled against the pressure of Badin.
“I’m not really concerned about it,” he said, adding, “I’m not going to sit here and press the panic button because we are so young — they are competing and that’s all I’ve ever asked of them.”
Freshman Chloe Smith led the Arrows in scoring with nine points on 3-11 shooting for the game. She also added four rebounds and four assists for the game.
Shelbie Brown had a solid game for Shawnee, picking up eight points on 3-5 shooting and hauling in six rebounds.
Elise Walker led the team with nine rebounds and Nicole Sims added eight rebounds and two assists.
On Thursday, Dec. 3, the team fell to Milton Union on the road, 41-35. The cold shooting on the road continued for the Arrows, who shot 28 percent for the game.
The team also turned the ball over 21 times again, as the youth of the Arrows showed in the opening week.
Milton Union jumped out to an early 12-0 lead before the Arrows eventually took the lead in third quarter — before another cold-shooting fourth quarter came back to haunt them.
Smith again led the team in scoring with 10 points on 3-12 shooting, including 2-4 from three point land. Sims was second in scoring with eight points on 3-8 shooting.
Ashton Collins led the Arrows with nine rebounds.
The Arrows also left points at the free throw line, shooting just 5-14 as a team for the game.
They were also behind schedule compared to its two opponents as Badin was playing in its third game of the year and Milton Union was playing in its sixth game of the season.
“We’ll be alright — we’re moving on a little slower than anticipated but nothing drastic,” Webster said of his young team. “If we can hold teams to around 40 points every game we will be alright.”
