THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 4, 1995 TAG: 9510040471
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
It started out like a normal game, with the Atlantic Shores girls basketball team out to an early lead against Northampton.
Normal, that is, until Shelley Matthews lined up behind the 3-point arc. Suddenly, that territory was her zone.
Swish.
Swish.
Swish.
Swish.
Swish.
By the time Matthews was finished with Northampton last Thursday, she had nailed a school-record five 3-pointers, all in the first half, on consecutive shots. She ended the night with 25 points and 10 steals.
Not bad for a freshman.
``Normally I just hit one or two 3-pointers,'' said Matthews. ``My shot was just on, I guess.''
For her performance against Northampton, combined with a 19-point outburst against B.E.A.C.H., Matthews has been selected The Virginian-Pilot female athlete of the week.
The only non-senior to start for the Seahawks, Matthews has been a big scorer for Atlantic Shores for years. She led the junior varsity in points per game for two seasons, and now leads the varsity with a 17.2 average.
Remarkably, Matthews has a better shooting percentage from 3-point land than she does from the field overall.
``It brings a smile to your face when you see someone hitting like that. You don't even see that in boys basketball,'' said Seahawks coach Keith Hall of Matthews' long-distance connections against Northampton. ``She's always been a good outside shooter.''
Matthews didn't play much against B.E.A.C.H. - it was one of those games where you play everybody, Hall said - but she finished strong, with 11 of her 19 points coming in the fourth quarter.
As her torrid pace continues - she had 21 points and 15 steals Monday against Broadwater - Matthews is getting a reputation as the Seahawks' freshman sensation. It's a role she seems a bit reluctant to play.
``At the beginning of the season my goal was just to get a starting spot, but after the first game I saw what I could do,'' Matthews said. ``I just try to play the best I can.'' by CNB