Shrout’s strong second half rallies Preble Shawnee past Madison 53-47
MADISON TWP. — Mason Shrout took Saturday night and made it his night. But not without a little resistance.
The Preble Shawnee senior star was held in check by Madison’s stout defensive efforts in the first half before he exploded in the final two quarters to score a game-high 21 points and give the Arrows a 53-47 victory.
“We do what it takes. We do what it takes,” Shrout said to his teammates.
The Mohawks led for nearly 31/2 quarters of the non-conference game that has continued its rivalry status ever since the Arrows left for the Western Ohio Athletic Conference two years ago.
“This game goes deeper than just basketball,” Shrout said. “It’s every sport. Madison is always great competitors. I’m glad we came out on top. But this one was a dogfight.”
Shrout, a Purdue Fort Wayne commit who leads the WOAC with 24.1 points a game, scored just five before the break. Madison had an 11-9 lead after one quarter when Grady Combs hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer and a 21-19 advantage at halftime.
Madison supplied a box-1 defense all game to key on Shrout, who scored 16 in the second half. He hit three 3-point shots within a two-minute span down the stretch to rip the momentum away from the Mohawks, who fell to 3-7.
“Even though they’re not in the league, I’ve enjoyed coaching against Shrout,” Madison coach Shane Richardson said. “That’s what I told him after the game. It’s been fun. He’s a generational player. I had the privilege of doing what I could do as a coach to try and to stop him.”
“He’s a very special kid,” Preble Shawnee coach Jake Turner said before smiling. “I’m glad we have him.”
Combs said the Mohawks were a couple rebounds away