Leber, Norwalk close out Shelby

NORWALK — There is no thought process. For the first time all game, Shelby had host Norwalk on its heels. The Whippets had endured a scoreless first quarter and trailed by 12 points in the fourth quarter. But with her team's lead down to three points (36-33), Norwalk junior All-Ohioan Emmie Leber just reacted. The 6-foot post got the ball near the left block and went strong to the basket. She was fouled in the process, and the basket counted, giving the Truckers a huge three-point play with 1:26 left to help close out a 41-33 win Saturday night at Norwalk High School. "I just got the ball and wanted to take it to the rim," Leber said. "I wasn't really thinking; I just did it. I don't think at all; I just react. It's more of an instinct. "It feels great," she added. "It gives everyone in the gym a lot of energy and gets my teammates hyped up. It just makes me happy for everyone." Norwalk (2-0) started the game by keeping the Whippets (1-2) off the scoreboard. Meanwhile, Leber made a 3-pointer, and Bella Hernandez and Trinity Lazzara added baskets as the Truckers took an 8-0 lead after one quarter. Though Shelby scored 10 points in the second quarter, the Truckers, who struggled to shoot as a team throughout the game, did enough to stay in front. Leber, Lazzara, and CJ Bennett made baskets in the quarter as Norwalk led 15-10 at halftime. "I thought defensively we were pretty good at the beginning," Norwalk head coach Kyle Brubaker said. "Our energy was good, and we figured we could give them a lot of different pressure looks. "The group we put on the floor is a pretty good defensive lineup. For one quarter, we were pretty locked in and connected." The Truckers started to gain some separation in the third quarter. Lazzara took charge for Norwalk, scoring seven of her 13 points in the eight minutes. That included a 3-pointer with 52.3 seconds left to push the lead out to 10 (30-20). Leber and Alyssa Gruhlke also scored twice each as Norwalk led by 10 entering the fourth quarter. It took Lazzara 16 seconds to push the lead to 32-20 to start the fourth quarter. When Audryn Ott made her only basket of the game, the Truckers looked comfortable with a 34-22 lead with 6:14 left in the game. But Shelby proceeded to score nine straight points over a 3:14 span and even had two more possessions with a chance to get closer before coming up empty. Jordy Thauvette scored consecutively for the Whippets, including a 3 with 4:29 left to make it 34-29. Leading 34-31, Leber was fouled in the act of shooting. She made both free throws with 2:05 left for a 36-31 lead, but Shelby's Makenna Moyer answered at the other end with 1:51 left to keep the pressure on at 36-33. That's when Leber converted the big three-point play with 86 seconds left. After a Shelby turnover, Gruhlke then closed out the scoring with a basket with 57.3 seconds remaining. "It was huge in a big spot, and Emmie has a knack for making that kind of play," Brubaker said. "The one thing about her is she wants the ball in those situations. You can't say that about every type of player. It was a huge moment for us." After holding All-Ohio standout Elly Evarts to 11 points — she scored 31 in her next game — in a win over Gibsonburg on Nov. 25, the Truckers had another strong defensive game. At the offensive end, however, Norwalk was just 16-of-49 from the field (33 percent) with 22 turnovers. "We're still a mixed bag offensively," Brubaker said. "Some of the decisions we are making with the basketball are questionable, and we have to clean that up and be better. We have to be a little stronger in everything we do. "They are things we can fix, but we have to get in the gym and fix them. But again, having Trin doing the things she can do with the ball and having Emmie inside is a nice combination to have. Leber had 15 points, six rebounds, and six blocks. Lazzara had 13 points with a pair of assists and two steals, while Gruhlke had six points and four rebounds. "It's day by day, practice by practice," Leber said. "We're working harder and taking little steps every day to get to where we want to be." Norwalk hosts New London (1-1) on Tuesday with a 5:30 p.m. junior varsity start. The Wildcats have won the past two Firelands Conference championships and are favored to do so again this winter, while also reaching the district round for a third year in a row. The Truckers then open SBC Lake Division play on Saturday at home vs. Sandusky. "You look at Gibsonburg with Elly and a program like Shelby; even after losing a lot of girls from last year, those are two good wins," Brubaker said. "It's nice to win them both, but we know we have a lot of work ahead of us." SHELBY (1-2) Makenna Moyer 2-0—4; Jordy Thauvette 3-0—8; Braylee Sturts 5-1—11; Chloe Mahek 2-2—6; Natalie Kennard 1-2—4. TOTALS 13-5—33. NORWALK (2-0) CJ Bennett 1-0—2; Alyssa Gruhlke 3-0—6; Audryn Ott 1-0—2; Bella Hernandez 1-0—2; Emmie Leber 5-4—15; Trinity Lazzara 5-2—13; Jo Jackson 0-1—1. TOTALS 16-7—41. Shelby 0 10 10 13 — 33 Norwalk 8 7 15 11 — 41 3-point FGs: (S) Thauvette 2; (N) Leber, Lazzara JV: Norwalk, 39-16.