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For the Lady Midgets, number 33 Samantha Shipley.

After being told her season was over due to a ruptured disc in her back, all Samantha Shipley wanted to do was the unthinkable, come back at the end of the season to help Putnam County make a run at State for her senior season.

"The whole time in my mind, the game that I went out on was not how I wanted to end my career of basketball. It was, I didn't perform well and I just knew that I had to get back out their on the floor. "-Samantha Shipley

After weeks of sitting out watching her team struggle without their conference MVP performer, Shipley's back recovered to the point where the doctor gave her the go.

"We lost to a team by 4 points earlier in the season, we got Samantha back and we beat them by 18 on their home floor. I mean she scores, like I said she gets others in scoring position and she dishes the ball off well, she's a leader."- Craig DeVore

Shipley joined the Midgets for the last 3 games of the regular season scoring double digits in each performance elevating Putnam to a 500 record. In districts Putnam gave 3rd seeded Schuyler County a run for their money as they tied up the game with 3 minutes to play. The Midgets fell, but Shipley will never forget being able to finish her basketball career on the court.

"I have a lot of drive in myself and I have a lot of self determination and I just told myself that I was going to get better and that I was going to get back out there on the floor."-Samantha Shipley