Basketball Recap: Jamiah Hopper Key Part of Team Effort in Golden Lions Win

With a playoff win on the line, Shelby rose to the challenge on Tuesday. They secured a 52-47 W over the Burns Bulldogs. That's the fourth time they've managed to beat them this season, with their most recent win being a 57-51 victory last Tuesday.

Shelby's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jamiah Hopper, who shot 47% from the field to rack up 20 points and six rebounds. Hopper is on a roll when it comes to shooting accuracy, as she's posted one of at least 47% in the last four games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Da'Mani French, who went 5-for-10 en route to 12 points in addition to seven assists and four steals.

Golden Lions

Assists

02/25/25 vs Burns	16
02/21/25 vs Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy	9
02/18/25 vs Burns	7
02/17/25 vs East Gaston	14
02/14/25 vs Burns	11
+ 22 more games

Shelby was working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since back in February of 2024.

Burns lost despite a true team effort on offense. The best among them was Laney Williams, who posted 18 points along with six boards and five assists. She also grabbed five steals, which is notable because Burns is 8-1 when she posts at least five steals, but 8-10 otherwise. Grace Hodge was another key player, putting up 14 points in addition to five rebounds and four steals.

Shelby is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-9 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.2 points over those games. Burns dropped their record down to 16-11 with the defeat, which was their fourth straight on the road.

Shelby has already played their next matchup, a 61-56 loss against Hendersonville on the 28th. Burns does not have any more games scheduled as of now.