The Shawnee Indians had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12.7 points), and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Wapakoneta 47-45. Given Shawnee's advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 130th, while Wapakoneta is ranked 347th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Shawnee found their leader in underclassman Beckett Bertke, who scored 26 points along with seven rebounds. Bertke is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 15 or more in the last four games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Alex Goldsberry, who scored four points.
Shawnee's victory bumped their record up to 9-4. As for Wapakoneta, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost four of their last five matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-6 record this season.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Shawnee will challenge Lima Senior at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Wapakoneta won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Jackson Center at 4:00 p.m. on January 20th.
