North Bend Central Boys beat Pender and Schuyler; Girls down Pendragons

The North Bend Central Boys are 2-0 in their last two games, defeating Pender 70-28 at home Friday night before winning 42-38 in overtime at Schuyler on Saturday.

The Tigers led the Pendragons 31-8 at the end of one. North Bend Central won the second quarter 15-11 to lead 46-19 at halftime.

The Tigers quadrupled up Pender 20-5 in the third quarter to make it a 66-24 game at the end of three.

Both teams scored 4 fourth quarter points.

Jake Wieftfeld led the way with 25 points. Jake Cleveringa added 10 while Tanner Wietfeld totaled 8.

North Bend Central led the Warriors 13-7 at the end of one. The Tigers won the second quarter 9-6 to take a 22-13 lead into the locker room.

Schuyler outscored North Bend Central 15-10 in the third quarter to make it a 32-28 game at the end of three.

The Warriors put up 7 fourth quarter points compared to 3 for the Tigers to send the game into OT tied at 35.

North Bend Central outlasted Schuyler 7-3 in the extra session.

The Tigers played real well against Pender, but nearly let one get away against the Warriors. Give Schuyler credit for coming back in the second half, but North Bend Central should have put the Warriors away earlier than they did.

The Tigers (5-1) square off with David City Aquinas (4-2) next Tuesday at the David City Holiday Tournament.

The Monarchs won 47-42 at Lincoln Lutheran last time out.

David City Aquinas is a good team, and this is going to be an awfully difficult game for North Bend Central, in my opinion.

The fact the game is in David City makes it that much harder for the Tigers I think.

North Bend Central has to be ready to play though and must believe they can win.

Hopefully the Tigers learned a lesson from the Schuyler game in that they need to close teams out when they have the chance.

If North Bend Central has a chance to close out the Monarchs, they need to slam the door shut.

The last thing the Tigers want to do is leave the door open for David City Aquinas to comeback should it come down to that.

North Bend Central has to play their hearts out, and get back to playing the type of basketball they played against Stanton and Pender.

I understand Schuyler is a Class B school, but the Tigers have to be more consistent if they want to continue to knock off good teams.

Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m.

The North Bend Central Girls edged Pender 36-34 at home Friday night.

Pender doubled up the Tigers 12-6 in the first quarter. North Bend Central won the second quarter 10-3 to lead 16-15 at halftime.

The Pendragons outscored the Tigers 11-4 in the third quarter to go up 26-20 at the end of three.

North Bend Central doubled up Pender 16-8 in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers were down, but found a way to comeback and win. This was a big win for North Bend Central.

The Tigers (5-1) take on David City Aquinas (3-3) next Tuesday at the David City Holiday Tournament.

The Monarchs lost 50-27 at Lincoln Lutheran on Saturday, and have kind of hit a rough patch in their season.

David City Aquinas has played a tough schedule, however, and should not be underestimated.

North Bend Central is going to have to play at a very high level to knock off the Monarchs. I don't think things are going to come easy for the Tigers.

I look for next Tuesday's game to be close and tightly contested.

I feel like North Bend Central has a good chance to win, but the Tigers have to play well.

It all starts on the defensive end of the floor for North Bend Central. The Tigers have held every opponent under 50 points this season, and that trend has to continue if North Bend Central wants to win next Tuesday.

The Tigers also need to get things going offensively, but something tells me this is going to be a low scoring street fight.

I look for North Bend Central to grind and eek out a close victory.

It may not be pretty, but if the result is a win I'm sure the Tigers will take it.

Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m.

Tekamah-Herman Boys lose to Logan View/Scribner-Snyder and Arlington; Girls beat both

The struggles continue for the Tekamah-Herman Boys as the Tigers lost 77-41 at home to Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Friday night before falling 65-31 at Arlington on Saturday.

The Raiders led the Tigers 19-11 after one. Logan View/Scribner-Snyder outscored Tekamah-Herman 22-8 in the second quarter to take a 41-19 lead into the locker room.

The Raiders won the third quarter 18-8 to go up 59-27 at the end of three.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder notched 18 fourth quarter points compared to 14 for the Tigers.

Derek Haber led all scorers with 21 points.

The Eagles tripled up Tekamah-Herman 21-7 in the first quarter. Arlington won the second quarter 21-9 to take a 42-16 lead into the locker room.

The Eagles outscored the Tigers 20-1 in the third quarter to go up 62-17 at the end of three.

Tekamah-Herman notched 14 fourth quarter points compared to 3 for Arlington.

Haber had a team-high 16 points and 8 rebounds. Colton Morrow-Merrill added 7 rebounds.

Haber appears to be the only one that came to play against both the Raiders and Eagles judging by the way he and others played.

The Tigers (1-6) take on BDS (6-0) at the Nebraska Wesleyan Holiday Tournament.

The Eagles defeated Cross County 42-39 on the road Friday night after beating Deshler 52-46 at home last Tuesday night.

BDS may be a D-1 school, but they are still a very good team.

Tekamah-Herman figures to have their hands full, and someone besides Haber is going to have to step up and score.

The Tigers have to be much better offensively and defensively if they want to compete with and ultimately beat the Eagles.

Tekamah-Herman has to take this time off during the five-day moratorium to work on individual skills and shooting.

It's important for these Tiger plays to remain active over the Holiday Break.

A couple of hours of working out, shooting, and scrimmaging per day will no doubt help get this team ready for the Nebraska Wesleyan Holiday Tournament.

There are some good teams in this tournament, and Tekamah-Herman is going to have to play at a very high level to compete.

This team is capable of playing well though. Tekamah-Herman has looked decent at times this season, and is due to break out, in my opinion.

The Tekamah-Herman Girls are 2-0 in their last two games, defeating Logan View/Scribner-Snyder 51-31 at home Friday night and Arlington 54-38 on the road Saturday.

The Tigers led the Raiders 12-7 after one. Tekamah-Herman tripled up Logan View/Scribner-Snyder 12-4 in the second quarter to take a 24-11 lead at halftime.

The Tigers won the third quarter 10-7 to go up 34-18 at the end of three.

Tekamah-Herman outscored the Raiders 17-13 in the fourth quarter.

Jess Fleischmann led the way with 13 points. Marin Jetensky added 11 while Allie Snow scored 10.

The Tigers led the Eagles 14-5 at the end of one. Arlington won the second quarter 15-14 to make it a 28-20 game at halftime.

Tekamah-Herman outscored the Eagles 15-6 in the third quarter to go up 43-26 at the end of three.

Arlington put up 12 fourth quarter points compared to 11 for the Tigers.

Tekamah-Herman played at a high level last week. The Tigers had two very winnable games, and took care of business, and didn't disappoint.

Tekamah-Herman (5-2) battles BDS (6-0) at the Nebraska Wesleyan Holiday Tournament in Lincoln.


The Eagles downed Cross County 44-14 on the road Friday night after downing Deshler 49-38 at home last Tuesday night.

BDS is good, but they're a D-1 school, and given the sort of talent the Tigers have, it should be a Tekamah-Herman victory.

You always worry about being fresh when coming off the five-day moratorium, but I don't think that will be an issue for the Tigers.

Tekamah-Herman's players need to be in the gym an hour or two each day during the five-day moratorium to stay sharp.

It's important for the Tigers to stay fresh and be in practice over the moratorium period.

There is some quality competition in this tournament, but I believe Tekamah-Herman is just as good, if not better, than any of these teams.

The majority of the teams in the tournament are D-1 or lower so that should be to the Tigers' benefit.

Tekamah-Herman will still be tested, I don't think there's any doubt about that, but I think the Tigers are in good position to be successful in this tournament.

West Point-Beemer Boys lose to Howells-Dodge; Girls beat Jaguars

The West Point-Beemer Boys fell 62-52 at Howells-Dodge Tuesday night.

Both the Jaguars and Cadets scored 14 points in the first quarter. Howells-Dodge outscored West Point-Beemer 18-11 to take a 32-25 lead into the locker room.

The Cadets won the third quarter 9-7 to make it a 39-34 game at the end of three.

West Point-Beemer put up 23 points in the fourth quarter compared to 18 for the Jaguars.

Austin Streeter had a team-high 14 points and 8 rebounds. Tate Toelle added 13 points while Chase Streeter and Blake Schroedter totaled 10 and 8, respectively.

The Cadets gave it their all, and did a good job getting multiple players in double figures, but ultimately came up short.

West Point-Beemer (0-5) squares off with Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (5-1) in the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout at Wayne State on Tuesday.

The Bears defeated Plainview 71-23 at home last time out after losing 80-70 to Ponca at home Tuesday night.

The Cadets have to watch out for Dillan Wolfgram, Jayden Reifenrath, Mason Forsberg, Malik Knox, Jordan Jansen, and others.

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge is a good team, and figures to be a difficult matchup for West Point-Beemer.

The Cadets are going to have to be on their horse defensively to try and slow down the Bears' attack.

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge scores a lot of points, but they are susceptible to giving up points.

West Point-Beemer has to attack offensively, and go right at the Bears.

The Cadets have to try and get Reifenrath and others in foul trouble.

The more free throws West Point-Beemer shoots, the better off they will be.

I think this will be another close game for the Cadets. So far, close games have not treated West Point-Beemer kindly, but all it takes is one game for fortunes to change.

I think the Cadets are capable of knocking off Laurel-Concord-Coleridge if they play up to their capability.

We will see what happens. Tip-off is set for 11:00 a.m.

The West Point-Beemer Girls won 70-61 at Howells-Dodge Tuesday night.

Howells-Dodge and West Point-Beemer were tied at 16 at the end of one. The Cadets outscored the Jaguars 25-13 in the second quarter to make it a 41-29 game at halftime.

The Jaguars won the third quarter 16-12 to cut the deficit to 8 at 53-45 at the end of three.

West Point-Beemer put up 17 fourth quarter points compared to 16 for Howells-Dodge.

Amanda Hansen finished with a game-high 30 points and 9 rebounds. McKenzie Bruce totaled 17 points while Bethany Anderson notched 7 points and 12 rebounds. Brittney Hinkel chipped in 7 rebounds.

This was a good win for the Cadets. The Jaguars are a very good team, but West Point-Beemer showed they are a good team as well by picking up the win.

The Cadets (4-1) square off with Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (0-6) on Tuesday in the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout at Wayne State.

The Bears lost 45-32 at home to Plainview Friday night after falling 51-41 at home to Ponca Tuesday night.

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge may be winless, but they have played a number of teams close.

West Point-Beemer certainly has to be ready to play, and can't afford to take the Bears lightly.

Hansen has to have a big game as does Bruce. Anderson, Taylor Weddle, Makenna Weddle, Hinkel, and Jade Dushmann all have to step up and contribute for the Cadets as well.

West Point-Beemer has to like their chances of winning this Holiday Tournament if they play well.

There are some very good teams in this tournament, but the Cadets have to feel they can play with and beat any of these teams.

Norfolk Catholic or O'Neill St. Mary's will be tough on the second day, and whoever West Point-Beemer plays on the third day will be tough as well.

It would be a big deal for the Cadets to win this Holiday Tournament.

West Point-Beemer needs to win the whole tournament so they know what winning championships feels like.

Finishing in second or third place isn't good enough, in my opinion.

If the Cadets want to win a district final and go to state, they need to win this Holiday Tournament.

Winning the tournament would set the stage for the rest of the season for West Point-Beemer with conference, sub districts, a district final, and perhaps state.

This is a big tournament for the Cadets, and doing well and winning the whole thing has to be a priority.

West Point-Beemer squares off with Laurel-Concord-Coleridge at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday. 

Stanton Boys and Girls beat Wakefield and Pender

The Stanton Boys rebounded from Tuesday's loss to North Bend Central by beating Wakefield 75-47 at home Friday night and Pender 65-24 on the road Saturday.

The Trojans led the Mustangs 17-15 after one. Stanton won the second quarter 22-18 to lead 37-35 at halftime.

The Mustangs outscored Wakefield 19-12 in the third quarter to extend their lead to 56-47 at the end of three.

Stanton shutout the Trojans 19-0 in the fourth quarter.

Brook Klinetobe had a game-high 19 points for the Mustangs. Kyle Sperl added 17 while Trey Erbst notched 16. Myles Nickolite recorded 9.

The Mustangs held a 14-8 lead on the Pendragons at the end of one.

Stanton outscored Pender 29-7 in the second quarter to go up 43-15 at halftime.

The Mustangs won the third quarter 20-3 to lead 63-18 at the end of three.

The Pendragons tripled up Stanton 6-2 in the fourth quarter.



Sperl led the way with 21 points. Klinetobe registered 10 while Nickolite totaled 9 points and 7 rebounds. Mitchael Sieh totaled 8 points while Henry Bohac had 7 rebounds.

The Mustangs were true to form on Friday and Saturday. Stanton picked up two big wins after the off game against the Tigers.

The Mustangs (6-1) host their own Holiday Tournament next Monday and Tuesday.

O'Neill, West Holt, and Madison all figure to get challenged.

The Mustangs are a very good team and a force to be reckoned with.

All the other teams in this tournament are quality teams too though.

Stanton will have their hands full with West Holt and either O'Neill or Madison in the second game.

I think the Mustangs have a good chance to win this Holiday Tournament with it being on their home floor.

Things won't come easy for Stanton I don't think, but the Mustangs haven't lost at home so far this season.

Sperl, Klinetobe, Erbst, and Nickolite have to keep scoring the ball well for Stanton to have a successful Holiday Tournament.

The Mustangs have to defend their home court, and make their opponents feel as uncomfortable as possible.

Stanton is in the business of winning championships, and anything less than a Holiday Tournament Championship would be disappointing, in my opinion.

We will see what the Mustangs are made of come next Monday and Tuesday.

It should be a thrilling and entertaining Holiday Tournament, at least on the boys side of things.

Next Monday's game is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m.

The Stanton Girls are also 2-0 in their last two games, downing Wakefield 66-21 at home Friday night before defeating Pender 49-46 on the road Saturday.

The Mustangs doubled up the Trojans 10-5 in the first quarter. Stanton outscored Wakefield 28-5 in the second quarter to lead 38-10 at halftime.

The Mustangs won the second half 28-11.

The Mustangs doubled up the Pendragons 14-7 in the first quarter. Pender won the second quarter 16-15 to make it a 29-23 game at halftime.

The Pendragons outscored Stanton 12-10 in the third quarter to close within 4 at 39-35 at the end of three.

Pender scored 12 fourth quarter points compared to 11 for the Mustangs.

Hiliary Huss had a game-high 17 points. Jessie Brandl added 13 while MacKenzie Brandl notched 7.

Stanton is starting to play better basketball. The Mustangs have to be happy with the two wins they picked up last week as it gives them some momentum heading into the Holiday Break.

Stanton (3-4) hosts the Stanton Holiday Tournament next Monday and Tuesday.

The other teams in the tournament are West Holt, O'Neill, and Madison.

The Mustangs will open up with the Huskies next Monday at 5:30 p.m.

Both West Holt and O'Neill are respectable teams, and the Dragons certainly can't be taken lightly either.

With that said, this tournament is Stanton's to lose, in my opinion.

I think the Mustangs are top to bottom the best team in this tournament.

And I'm not just saying that because I write about them in this blog, I'm saying it because I think it's true.

This team appears to have started to figure some things out, and is playing their best basketball of the season right now.

It would be a big deal for Stanton to win this tournament and be 5-4 heading into the second half of the season.

The Mustangs are on a two-game winning streak, and need to keep the momentum going.

It's important for Stanton to do well next Monday and Tuesday. The Mustangs have a tough slate to open up the second half of the season, and can use all the momentum they can get.

It will be interesting to see how Stanton does in their own Holiday Tournament.

Emerson-Hubbard Boys lose to Ponca, beat Winside; Girls down both

The Emerson-Hubbard Boys are 1-1 in their last two games, falling 66-31 at home to Ponca Friday night before defeating Winside 43-35 at home on Saturday to pick up their first win of the season.

The Indians led the Pirates 12-8 after one. Ponca outscored Emerson-Hubbard 23-7 in the second quarter to lead 35-15 at halftime.

The Indians won the third quarter 12-11 to go up 47-26 at the end of three.

Ponca notched 19 fourth quarter points compared to just 5 for the Pirates.

Emerson-Hubbard led the Wildcats 16-7 at the end of one. Winside won the second quarter 10-9 to make it a 25-17 game at halftime.

The Wildcats outscored the Pirates 9-7 in the third quarter to close within 6 at 32-26 at the end of three.

Emerson-Hubbard put up 11 fourth quarter points compared to 9 for Winside.

The Pirates didn't play their best game against the Indians, but did enough to win against the Wildcats. Emerson-Hubbard hopes the win leads to better things, there's no doubt about it.

The Pirates (1-6) square off with Lyons-Decatur Northeast (4-1) next Tuesday afternoon at the Omaha Nation Holiday Tournament.

The Cougars are one of the feel good stories of 2015-2016 so far. Lyons-Decatur Northeast defeated Allen 53-25 on Saturday after knocking off Howells-Dodge 66-51 Friday night.

The Cougars are certainly playing at a very high level right now, and Alec Anderson is a big reason why.

He has led Lyons-Decatur Northeast night in and night out.

Emerson-Hubbard has to come ready to play though and can't back down from the Cougars.

The Pirates have to come in to this game with a winning mentality and belief that they can win.

Emerson-Hubbard has to be optimistic, and think that anyone they play is beatable.

The Pirates need to use this five-day moratorium period to get better as a team and individually. The coaches can't help out, but Emerson-Hubbard's players can work out on their own in an effort to get better.

The Pirates need to do what they can to carry the momentum of the Winside win over to this game.

Emerson-Hubbard needs all the momentum they can get, and the win over the Wildcats should help out the Pirates quite a bit.

We will find out what Emerson-Hubbard is made of in this Holiday Tournament.

The Pirates and Cougars are set to square off at 2:45 p.m.

The Emerson-Hubbard Girls are 2-0 in their last two games, downing Ponca 71-51 at home Friday night, and Winside 59-6 at home on Saturday.

The Pirates led the Indians 26-15 after one. Ponca won the second quarter 15-13 to make it a 39-30 game at halftime.

Emerson-Hubbard outscored the Indians 19-9 in the third quarter to go up 58-39 at the end of three.

The Pirates notched 13 fourth quarter points compared to 12 for Ponca.

Emerson-Hubbard got the job done in impressive fashion Friday night and Saturday. The Pirates took care of business like they expected to.

Emerson-Hubbard (6-1) battles Lyons-Decatur Northeast (5-1) next Tuesday afternoon in the Omaha Nation Holiday Tournament.

The Cougars defeated Allen 72-10 at home on Saturday after falling 57-45 at home to Howells-Dodge Friday night.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast has a nice team, especially for only having nine players on their varsity roster.

Everyone contributes for the Cougars. It's a team effort night in and night out for Lyons-Decatur Northeast.

As good as the Cougars are though, I think the Pirates are even better.

Emerson-Hubbard has dominated everyone they've played so far with the exception of Guardian Angels Central Catholic.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast is easily the 2nd or 3rd best team the Pirates will have faced all season though so they have to be ready to go from the get go.

Emerson-Hubbard's offense has to be potent and the defense needs to play well also.

The Pirates' goal should be to win this Holiday Tournament, nothing less. Anything but a Holiday Tournament Championship would be a disappointment, there's no doubt about it.

We will find out just how good this Emerson-Hubbard team is by how they play in this Holiday Tournament.

The Pirates and Cougars are set to square off at 1:00 p.m.

Pender Boys and Girls beat Clarkson/Leigh, lose to North Bend Central and Stanton

The Pender Boys went 1-2 last week, defeating Clarkson/Leigh 43-37 at home Thursday night, falling 70-28 at North Bend Central Friday night, and 65-24 at home to Stanton on Saturday.

The Patriots led the Pendragons 10-7 after one. Pender won the second quarter 13-9 to go up 20-19 at halftime.

The Pendragons outscored Clarkson/Leigh 10-8 in the third quarter to make it a 30-27 game at the end of three.

Pender notched 13 fourth quarter points compared to 10 for the Patriots.

James Bensen and Broderick Brader each had 10 points for the Pendragons. Jared Tyrrell added 7. 

The Tigers led the Pendragons 31-8 at the end of one. North Bend Central won the second quarter 15-11 to lead 46-19 at halftime.

The Tigers quadrupled up Pender 20-5 in the third quarter to make it a 66-24 game at the end of three.

Both teams scored 4 fourth quarter points.

The Mustangs held a 14-8 lead on the Pendragons at the end of one.

Stanton outscored Pender 29-7 in the second quarter to go up 43-15 at halftime.

The Mustangs won the third quarter 20-3 to lead 63-18 at the end of three.

The Pendragons tripled up Stanton 6-2 in the fourth quarter.

Pender did a great job beating the Patriots. The problem is it didn't translate into any more wins the rest of the week.

The Pendragons (1-5) are off until Tuesday when they take on Hartington Cedar Catholic (2-2) in the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout at Wayne State.

The Trojans defeated Crofton 44-38 at home Tuesday night.

Hartington Cedar Catholic appears to be sort of down this year, and that could be a good thing for Pender.

The Trojans are still a respectable team, but don't appear to be the same kind of team they have been in the past.

I'm not necessarily suggesting Pender will beat them, but the Pendragons have a better chance than in years past, in my opinion.

It will be interesting to see what Pender can do in the Holiday Tournament.

The Pendragon players have to take it upon themselves to workout, scrimmage, shoot around, and get better at the game of basketball during the five-day moratorium.

Pender could really use some extra work over the Holidays, and if this team wants to get better, they have to be self starters and motivated to improve over the Holiday Break.

It should be an interesting Holiday Tournament for the Pendragons, like it is every year.

We will see what tricks Pender might have up their sleeve next Monday evening.

The Pendragons and Trojans are set to square off at 5:30 p.m.

The Pender Girls also went 1-2 last week, downing Clarkson/Leigh 49-27 at home Thursday night, losing 36-34 at North Bend Central Friday night, and falling 49-46 at home to Stanton on Saturday.

The Pendragons led the Patriots 18-5 at the end of one. Pender outscored Clarkson/Leigh 11-3 in the second quarter to take a 29-8 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots won the third quarter 8-3 to make it a 32-16 game at the end of three.

The Pendragons notched 17 fourth quarter points compared to 11 for Clarkson/Leigh to make up the final score.

Justice Sorenson had a team-high 11 points. Cecelie Jacobsen and Amber English notched 10 each while Kam Anderson posted 9.

Pender doubled up the Tigers 12-6 in the first quarter. North Bend Central won the second quarter 10-3 to lead 16-15 at halftime.

The Pendragons outscored the Tigers 11-4 in the third quarter to go up 26-20 at the end of three.

North Bend Central doubled up Pender 16-8 in the fourth quarter.

The Mustangs doubled up the Pendragons 14-7 in the first quarter. Pender won the second quarter 16-15 to make it a 29-23 game at halftime.

The Pendragons outscored Stanton 12-10 in the third quarter to close within 4 at 39-35 at the end of three.

Pender scored 12 fourth quarter points compared to 11 for the Mustangs.

Anderson led the way with 14 points. English registered 11 points while Jacobsen totaled 9 points and 8 rebounds. Sorenson finished with 8 points while Hallie Ballinger pulled down 7 rebounds.

The first quarter was the difference in the loss to Stanton, sort of the opposite of the North Bend Central game, where the second and fourth quarters proved to be the difference.

The Pendragons (4-3) battle Hartington Cedar Catholic (6-1) in the first round of the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout Tuesday afternoon.

The Trojans downed Norfolk Catholic 48-42 on the road last Monday night before beating Avon, SD 40-38 at home Thursday night.

Hartington Cedar Catholic has been a surprise team of sorts this year. If they didn't have Pender's attention already, they do now.

This should be a great matchup between two very good teams.

I look for the Pendragons to give the Trojans all they can handle, and vice versa.

I feel like this will be a back and forth affair that goes down to the wire.

The first game is key to having a successful Holiday Tournament.

Win and you are guaranteed no worse than 4th. Lose the first game and you can't finish any better than 5th.

Pender lost a couple of close games this past week, and I don't think there's any doubt the Pendragons can't wait to get back on the playing floor.

Pender's players should take it upon themselves to workout individually and hone their skills during the five-day moratorium.

I think the break comes at a good time for the Pendragons. It gives Pender some time to get over the frustration of losing two close games this past week, and allows the Pendragons to reflect and think about what lies ahead in this Holiday Tournament and the rest of the season.

Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast Boys beat Howells-Dodge and Allen; Girls lose to Jaguars, beat Eagles

The Lyons-Decatur Northeast Boys continue to impress as the Cougars beat Howells-Dodge 66-51 at home Friday night before knocking off Allen 53-25 at home on Saturday.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast led the Jaguars 19-14 after one. The Cougars won the second quarter 19-11 to lead 38-25 at halftime.

Howells-Dodge put up 13 third quarter points compared to 12 for Lyons-Decatur Northeast to make it a 50-38 game at the end of three.

The Cougars outscored the Jaguars 16-13 in the fourth quarter.

Co-Head Coach Derek Lahm. "This was a huge win for our program. And a very exciting time for us in the locker room. And a testament to just the growth and the progress that the teams now for six years have been working on."

Alec Anderson led all scorers with 27 points and had 12 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Montana Riecken added 14 points while Marcus Hegy scored 11. Cole Christoffersen had 8 rebounds.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast outscored the Eagles 21-13 in the first half.

The Cougars won the third quarter 14-6 to lead 35-19 at the end of three.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast tripled up Allen 18-6 in the fourth quarter.

Anderson finished with a game-high 24 points. Tyler Hardeman totaled 8.

As well as the Cougars had been playing prior to this past week, Lyons-Decatur Northeast played even better last week in picking up two wins. The win over Howells-Dodge was no doubt the Cougars' biggest win of the season so far.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast (4-1) is off until next Tuesday when the Cougars take part in the Omaha Nation Holiday Tournament.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast should enjoy their time off, but be ready to get back after things when the five-day moratorium period comes to an end.

The moratorium comes at a bad time for the Cougars I think.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast is playing their best basketball of the season, and the break sort of halts and impedes the Cougars' progress, at least momentarily.

That just means Lyons-Decatur Northeast will have to have the energizer batteries working again when they begin play at the Omaha Nation Holiday Tournament.

The Cougars need to try to get in individual workouts during the five-day moratorium if at all possible.

If the team can get together on their own and practice plays, scrimmage, work on shooting drills, and perhaps even get some weightlifting sessions in, they will be better off than if they don't do anything during the entire break.

A couple hours a day is all this team needs to stay fresh and keep the momentum going, in my opinion.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast is off to a great start, and it will be exciting to see this team grow and prosper the rest of the season.

I don't think there's any doubt the Cougars are for real. It should be a run ride for Lyons-Decatur Northeast the rest of the season.

The Lyons-Decatur Northeast Girls went 1-1 last week, falling 57-45 at home to Howells-Dodge Friday night before beating Allen 72-10 at home on Saturday.

The Cougars held a 13-12 lead over the Jaguars at the end of one. Howells-Dodge tripled up Lyons-Decatur Northeast 21-7 in the second quarter to take a 33-20 lead into the locker room.

The Jaguars won the third quarter 18-13 to lead 51-33 at the end of three.

The Cougars doubled up Howells-Dodge 12-6 in the fourth quarter.

Brianne Haskell had a game-high 18 points. Lexie Bacon totaled 13 while Kelly Wakeley notched 7.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast led the Eagles 31-2 at the end of one. The Cougars outscored Allen 24-4 in the second quarter to take a 55-6 lead into the locker room.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast won the third quarter 6-4 to go up 61-10 at the end of three.

The Cougars blanked the Eagles 11-0 in the fourth quarter.

Tessie Collins finished with a game-high 13 points. Bacon added 12 while Haskell and Sophia Henneman scored 10 and 9, respectively. Brandi Simonsen notched 8 points while Abby Peterson totaled 8 points and 7 rebounds.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast played a great game against Allen after faltering against the Jaguars the night before. I think the Cougars were very determined and hungry on Saturday judging by the way they won.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast (5-1) is off until next Tuesday when the Cougars begin play in the Omaha Nation Holiday Tournament.

I think the five-day moratorium comes at a good time for Lyons-Decatur Northeast.

The Cougars will be able to rest up and recharge the batteries for their Holiday Tournament and the second half of the season.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast wants to stay fresh by having just the players workout on their own during the moratorium period, but the Cougars don't want to overdo it.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast only has 9 players on their varsity roster so rest is very important for this team.

The Cougars should enjoy their time off, but be ready to get back after things when the time comes.

I think the best is yet to come for Lyons-Decatur Northeast.

The Cougars have had a lot of success so far this season, but I think there are quite a few more wins coming for this team this season.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast will have their chance to knock off some good teams in the second half of the season, and so it will be interesting to see if the Cougars can get the job done.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast doesn't have a signature win as of yet, but that could definitely change in the Holiday Tournament or the second half of the season.

Every single player on this team is contributing in one way or another, and the teamwork this team is displaying is a major reason why they are as good as they are.