JEFFERSONVILLE — It was supposed to be “Back to the Future” for the Jeffersonville girls’ basketball team.

It ended up looking a lot like the past.

The Red Devils won their 22nd straight game over Clark County-rival Silver Creek on Friday night, pulling away in the second quarter and soundly thumping the Dragons 79-29.

Of course, this win — Jeff’s first of the season — will always feel a little more special because of where it occurred. The “Back to the Future” game was so named because it was played at the Nachand Fieldhouse, the historic hoops venue that waited 71 years for its hometown girls’ squad to get a victory on its court.

“It was a great atmosphere,” said Red Devil coach Chad Gilbert, who also collected his 150th career win at the school. “We saw a lot of familiar faces. You never know, it may be the last game anyone plays here. It was a great opportunity for our program.”

Essentially playing a home game away from Johnson Arena, Jeff (1-1) got off to a slow start, committing seven first-quarter turnovers and leading only 10-7 after a layup by Silver Creek’s Erin Richmer.

Like she would do for the rest of the evening, Shanice Gholson came to the rescue.

The sophomore emerged from the bench and jump-started the Devil attack with a buzzer-beating putback to end the first, then scored five quick points to push the margin to 31-14. That was all before an incredible third quarter that saw Gholson pour in 16 points, and she capped by again throwing in a shot at the buzzer — this one a 3-pointer that made it 60-28.

“Shanice is an excellent talent,” Gilbert said. “She can do a lot of different things on a basketball court. She didn’t play as much in the first game, because honestly she hadn’t done the work. But she came out this week and worked hard, and that carried over into the game, and it ended up being contagious and made everyone else work harder.”

Silver Creek (0-2) struggled against Jeff’s trademark pressure defense, turning the ball over nine times in the first quarter and 16 times by halftime. Still, the Dragons moved the ball well at times and hung tough until a technical foul for players not checking in at the scorer’s table started the second quarter and sparked a 10-1 Jeff run.

“This game by no means shows how our year is going to be,” said Silver Creek coach Ryan Apple. “This group will be in the gym at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning ready to get better.”

The final Jeff margin ballooned in the final period, and it mostly showed on the glass. Silver Creek was outrebounded 49-21 and at one point fell victim to Red Devil putbacks on four straight possessions.

“We played a good first half,” Apple said. “The second half we watched them get offensive rebound after offensive rebound. The girls got a little dejected from there and started rushing shots when we should have just taken our time.”

Freshman Mandi Martin showed off a little of the future of the Silver Creek program by leading the Dragons with seven points off the bench. Junior Maribeth Rogers added six points.

Gholson finished with 26 points for Jeff, while freshman Lakin Roland scored 11 and Jalynn McClain had 10 to go with 10 rebounds. Overall, 10 Red Devils scored in the victory.

Prior to the contest, Jeff introduced a long list of those who had helped put the contest together, including longtime Evening News and Tribune publisher Tom Lindley, Robbie Valentine, longtime broadcaster Ted Throckmorton and Mayor Tom Galligan. It added a special air to a game that drew an estimated 1,000 fans there for not just the past, but for the future of the girls’ program.

“There were a lot of people involved to get us in here and we had a lot of fun,” Gilbert said. “One day, these kids will be telling their kids that they got to play a game at the fieldhouse.”



SILVER CREEK 7 12 9 1—29

JEFFERSONVILLE 12 27 21 19—79

Silver Creek (0-2) — Richmer 3, Hagedorn 4, Voyles 2, Johnston 3, Shaver 1, Jamros 3, L. Fluhr 0, Martin 7, Rogers 6, Christman 0, Kimberlin 0, Roberts 0.

Jeffersonville (1-1) — Roland 11, Samuel 6, McClain 10, Kinnaird 3, Williams 8, Valentine 4, Gholson 26, Eckert 0, Brendle 0, Witherspoon 0, Gary 7, Falkenstein 2, Tarver 2.

Three-point field goals — Silver Creek 2 (Johnston, Martin); Jeffersonville 4 (Gholson 2, Gary 2).

Rebounds — Silver Creek 21 (Shaver 4); Jeffersonville 49 (McClain 10).

Turnovers — Silver Creek 24, Jeffersonville 13.

JUNIOR VARSITY: Jeffersonville 72 (17-21-15-19) — Falkenstein 11, Roberson 11, Brendle 11, Eckert 4, O’Neal 4, Witherspoon 15, Tarver 7, Gary); Silver Creek 19 (2-6-7-4) — K. Fluhr 4, Martin 4, Mattingly 3, Christman 0, Istre 3, Jamros 3, Fetter 0, Foster.