CAMDEN — The opening week of the season couldn’t have been any better for Preble Shawnee’s boys’ basketball.
The Arrows picked up three wins in three games.
Shawnee opened the season on Tuesday, Dec. 5 with a 67-36 win over Eaton. The made it two straight with a 62-44 win over Milton-Union on Friday in the league opener and capped off the week with a 52-42 win over previously unbeaten National Trail on Saturday.
“I thought we played a balanced game offensively and defensively. We stress an unselfish style and have guys that are always looking to make the extra pass,” Shawnee Coach Dale Spitler Jr. said of the Eaton game. “All five starters scored in double figures and that’s something that can happen quite a bit with this group.”
Shawnee jumped out to an 11-2 only to see the Eagles trim the lead to 11-9 by the end of the first quarter.
The Arrows took command of the game in the second quarter, outscoring Eaton 22-5.
“I give Eaton credit. They are a scrappy team and it took us a quarter to settle down and get comfortable,” Spitler Jr. said.
Austin Moore (12 points first half) and Chase Thompson (9 points and 9 rebounds first half) got the Arrows going early.
Levi Lewis added 15 points in the second half.
Joey Bates got a couple quick fouls but Spitler said he still played solid game and will be counted on a lot this season.
Point guard Tyler Worley got everybody involved and hit a three-pointer right at the buzzer to end the third quarter and Sam Agee and Andrew Monnin played solid defense and added a lot of energy, according to Spitler.
Lewis led the Arrows with 15 points, while Moore finished with 12. Bates and Chase Thompson each added 11 and Worley contributed 10. Thompson finished with 11 rebounds.
Against Milton-Union, Shawnee used another big second quarter to take control against the home team,.
Trailing 12-10 after the first eight minutes, the Arrows outscored Milton 19-9 in the second for a 29-21 halftime lead. Shawnee kept up the pressure in the second half, outscoring the Bulldogs 33-23.
Agee led the way with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting from 3-point range.
Monnin scored 11 and grabbed six rebounds.
Bates and Moore each added nine and Lewis chipped in with eight. Bates also had eight rebounds.
For the game, Shawnee shot just over 50 percent from the field.
On Saturday, the Arrows got out to a fast start and held a 23-7 lead midway through the second quarter en route to their win over Trail.
Shawnee led 29-15 at the half, but saw Trail cut the lead to 10 by the end of the third quarter.
The Arrows (3-0, 1-0 SWBL) was scheduled to host Carlisle on Tuesday, Dec. 12 and will travel to Dixie on Friday.
