Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Boys 2-1 in last three games; Girls 1-2 in same stretch

The Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Boys are 2-1 in their last three games, defeating Wayne 68-61 on the road last Tuesday night, and Malcolm 63-36 at home Friday night, before losing 62-53 at home to Wahoo on Saturday.

The Raiders led the Blue Devils 22-13 at the end of one. Logan View/Scribner-Snyder won the second quarter 17-12 to take a 39-25 lead into the locker room.

The Raiders won the third quarter 13-8 to go up 52-33 at the end of three.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder held off a furious fourth quarter rally by Wayne as the Blue Devils outscored the Raiders 28-16 in the final stanza.

Ben Moxness led the way with a game-high 25 points and 7 rebounds while Jacob Polk notched 17 points. Alex Hagerbaumer and Alex VonSeggern totaled 11 and 8, respectively.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder led the Clippers 18-4 after one. The Raiders outscored Malcolm 17-9 in the second quarter to go up 35-13 at halftime.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder won the third quarter 12-8 to lead 47-21 at the end of three.

The Raiders put up 16 points in the fourth quarter compared to 15 for the Clippers.

Moxness led all scorers with 24 points while Polk and Hagerbaumer chipped in 17 and 9, respectively.

The Warriors jumped out to a 16-12 lead on Logan View/Scribner-Snyder at the end of one. Both teams scored 14 points in the second quarter, and the halftime score was 30-26 in favor of Wahoo.

The Warriors outscored the Raiders 15-12 in the third quarter to go up 45-38 at the end of three.

Wahoo won the fourth quarter 17-15.

Moxness had a game-high 27 points and 7 rebounds while Polk added 10 points.

All in all, I think Logan View/Scribner-Snyder is playing pretty respectable basketball at the moment.

The Raiders (3-2) host Tekamah-Herman (0-5) Friday night.

The Tigers lost 65-24 at Omaha Brownell Talbot on Monday.

Tekamah-Herman has really struggled this year and doesn't have a lot of kids out for basketball, but you can bet the Tigers are going to play hard and bring their best effort.

Knowing that, Logan View/Scribner-Snyder has to be ready to play. The Raiders have to show Tekamah-Herman respect, and play well for all four quarters.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder can't feel sorry for the Tigers or show them remorse. The Raiders have to come out with the pedal to the metal.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder has to get Moxness and Polk going like they have all year.

The Raiders also need to play strong defense, something I feel Logan View/Scribner-Snyder has lacked at times this year.

A strong defense is the key to winning championships in my opinion, and this team has to become more consistent defensively, and offensively for that matter.

I look for the Raiders to put forth their best effort and win pretty easily over the Tigers. I just don't think Tekamah-Herman is equipped to handle and compete against a team like Logan View/Scribner-Snyder.

I feel the Raiders' best basketball is ahead of them, and although a win over the Tigers would be a pretty routine win, if Logan View/Scribner-Snyder could beat DC West on Tuesday it could give them some good confidence and momentum heading into the Holiday Break.

This game with Tekamah-Herman is one the Raiders need to put away early so they can get everyone some playing time.

It probably stinks for the starters being it's their only game of the week and they may not play a full game, but that's okay...conserve energy and rest when you can so you're ready to go in the second half of the season.

There's a lot of season left for Logan View/Scribner-Snyder so the players need to see the big picture with this game. If the Raiders get out to an insurmountable lead they should rest starters in the second half....no questions asked.

Friday night's game can be heard on 107.9 the Bull after the girls game, which is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m.

The Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Girls basketball team began the week last week with a game on the road with a 67-33 loss at the hands of the Wayne Blue Devils.

Kaylee Boyle led the team with 17 points. Other statistics included Abby Kahlandt-5 points, Ashley Peters-4 points, Morgan Morgan-4 points, Ashley Uhing-2 points, Mackenzy Schreck-1 point, 6 rebounds.

The Raiders finished the week, running into a very good Malcolm team and falling by a final of 65-12.

The Raiders were never able to get going offensively and struggled to get going in the early portions of the game.

Boyle led the scoring with 7 points and added 3 steals. Other statistics were Sierra Beacom-3 points, Schreck-2 points, Morgan-6 rebounds.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder defeated Cedar Bluffs 30-26 at home Tuesday night.

Both teams scored 2 points in the first quarter. The Raiders won the second quarter 10-9 to go up 12-11 at halftime.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder won the third quarter 5-4 to lead 17-15 at the end of three.

The Raiders outscored the Wildcats 13-11 in the fourth quarter.

Boyle recorded a double-double, scoring 18 points and securing 12 rebounds. Morgan added 7 rebounds.

It had to be a great feeling for Logan View/Scribner-Snyder to pick up their first win of the season. Boyle had a fantastic game.

The Raiders (1-4) host Tekamah-Herman (1-5) Friday night.

The Tigers lost 51-42 at Yutan Tuesday night.

Tekamah-Herman has played and lost to some really good teams so far. The Tigers are a much better team than their record would indicate.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder is going to need to play their best game of the season to come out on top.

The Raiders need to be strong defensively, and Boyle needs to perform the way she has lately.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder needs more than Boyle and Morgan making major contributions though.

Other girls need to step up and help out the cause.

The Raiders need everyone to step up their game and produce more to become a quality team, in my opinion.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder is capable of becoming a good team this season, and took a big step in the right direction on Tuesday, but the Raiders need to keep getting better if they want to be the type of team they can be.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder has to try and slow down Jess Fleischman, Marin Jetensky, and others Friday night.

The Raiders have to be hungry for another victory because you know the Tigers will be chomping at the bit to pick up a win.

If Logan View/Scribner-Snyder can keep this game with Tekamah-Herman close and win it, the Raiders could leave themselves in great shape heading into the DC West game on Tuesday.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder should have a good chance to win that game regardless, but the Raiders would give themselves a better chance of knocking off the Falcons if they performed well against the Tigers, in my opinion.

I look for Friday night's game to be a low scoring, defensive battle. I think the first team to 40 could very well be the winner.

The game will be aired on 107.9 the Bull beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Pender Boys lose to Oakland-Craig and Allen; Girls beat both

The Pender Boys lost 75-36 at home to Oakland-Craig Friday night, and 40-39 at home to Allen Monday night.

The Knights spurted out to a 24-9 lead on the Pendragons after one. Oakland-Craig outscored Pender 19-7 in the second quarter to go up 43-16 at halftime.

The Knights won the third quarter 18-13 to make it a 61-29 game at the end of three.

Oakland-Craig doubled up the Pendragons 14-7 in the fourth quarter.

Dylan Roth paced Pender with 16 points while Tyler Nelson had 12.

Allen led 10-5 after one.

Pender battled back in the second quarter, outscoring the Eagles 9-4 to tie the game at 14 at halftime.

The Pendragons won the third quarter 10-9 to go up 24-23 after three.

The Eagles won the fourth quarter 17-15.

Pender (1-3) was led by Roth, who had a game-high 16 points. James Bensen added 12.

Assistant Coach Clay Haymart.

"We had our opportunities, and it hurts. But we got to come out and work the rest of the week. Clarkson/Leigh is going to be big. They're football players down there so we got to come ready to go against them. North Bend Central and Stanton have always given us trouble since I've been in Pender so we got our work cut out for us the rest of the week."


Haymart's team hit only 3 of 15 free throws.

"That's been one of strengths up until this game. I think we came in to the day shooting 60 percent, something around there. So uncharacteristic of us, but hats off to Allen, they played well enough to win. They took advantage of our mistakes."

The Pendragons (1-3) take on Clarkson/Leigh (0-5) on the road Thursday night.

The Patriots lost 74-33 at home to BRLD on Saturday.

This is an interesting game because last year the team's were in opposite positions.

Pender was winless at home against a one win Clarkson/Leigh team last year and won so if things go like that again then the Patriots may win.

The loss to the Eagles was tough and had to really hurt there's no doubt about it.

The Pendragons have to simply forget about it and move on though. Nothing can be done about it now.

Pender has to come ready to play Thursday night because you can bet the Patriots will.

This should be an interesting game. I think the Pendragons can win, but it's going to be tough.

The road doesn't get any easier for Pender either with North Bend Central and Stanton coming up on Friday and Saturday.

The Pendragons really need this game to give themselves a shot against the Tigers and Mustangs, in my opinion.

I thought Pender would win Monday's game, but I was wrong. I think Clarkson/Leigh may win Thursday, but I could be wrong about that too.

The point I'm trying to make is it doesn't matter what is said or written about these two teams. All that matters is what the players and coaches think when it comes to the team's chances of winning Thursday night.

We will see what happens, but I would say the Patriots have a fairly decent shot to knock off the Pendragons, but Pender can also win too so it should be a pretty good game either way.

We will find out if the Pendragons can bounce back from Monday night's loss.

The Pender Girls beat Oakland-Craig 49-41 at home Friday night before downing Allen 65-22 at home Monday night.

Pender jumped out to a 17-4 lead on the Knights at the end of one. The Pendragons doubled up the Knights 16-8 in the second quarter to take a 33-12 lead into the locker room.

Oakland-Craig made a game of it in the third quarter, outscoring Pender 17-9 to make it a 42-29 game at the end of three.

The Knights won the fourth quarter 12-7.

The Pendragons (3-0) were led by Kamryn Anderson, who registered a game-high 28 points. Hallie Ballinger added 7 points and 14 rebounds. Cecilee Jacobsen totaled 15 rebounds.

Head Coach Larry Ballinger's girls hit only 10 of 34 free throws despite the win.

"It really is an embarrassing thing. And that's been a common theme these three games. Obviously we're doing something wrong in practice, and we got to do something better. Because this isn't working. And you get in tight games like this we could of won it I think handily if we could of just hit some shots, there wouldn't of been so much pressure on us."

Ballinger comments on Anderson's 28 points.

"Yeah when Kam is feeling good, and she was obviously feeling it the first half where she's dribble penetrating, hit some shots from the outside. And that's a good thing we had her going cause nobody else could really hit anything."

Pender jumped out to a 19-0 lead in the first quarter against the Eagles, and led 21-2 at the end of one.

The Pendragons won the second quarter 13-7 to take a 34-9 lead into the locker room.

Pender also won the third quarter 10-8 to extend their lead to 44-17 at the end of three.

The Pendragons outscored Allen 21-5 in the fourth quarter.

Jacobsen poured in a game-high 22 points and had 9 points for Pender (4-0) while Anderson added 11. Ballinger and Rylee Lehmkuhl notched 8 apiece. Ballinger registered 12 rebounds.

Larry Ballinger made it clear he didn't like his team's play in the third.

"Yeah I thought we just come out complacent, and just no effort. And defensively it was just an ugly quarter. And I just thought we just nonchalanted through things. And I don't care who you're playing everybody deserves your respect and you got to come out and play tough."

Ballinger was upset with his team's efforts in the third period and let it be known.

"You can't do this against good teams. And that's why I got kind of upset with them. And we got to be better than that otherwise we're not going to go very far."

The Pendragons square off with Clarkson/Leigh (2-3) on the road Thursday night.

The Patriots are much improved having lost 52-37 to BRLD at home Friday night.

I think this could be a close game if Pender isn't on top of their game.

The Pendragons can't afford to have lapses in their play because it is going to catch up to them at some point.

Pender has to play hard at all times, and respect every opponent.

Championship teams don't take other teams lightly, and if the Pendragons want to do well in the postseason and make state and do something in Lincoln, they have to play at a high level at all times.

Between missing a ton of free throws against Oakland-Craig and not playing a good third quarter against Allen, there's plenty for Ballinger and his team to work on.

With this said, it's nowhere near the time to panic and be overly concerned if you are the Pendragons.

Pender is still undefeated and has gone on to win games big with the exception of the Oakland-Craig game.

The Pendragons will be fine, they just need to start playing four complete quarters of basketball.

Reason being sooner or later this playing two or three good quarters of basketball is going to catch up to them.

So there's a reason to be a little concerned if you are Pender, but these struggles aren't something to overreact to.

We'll find out what the Pendragons are made of the rest of this week. Pender has North Bend Central and Stanton Friday and Saturday, and neither of those teams figure to make life easy for the Pendragons.

We'll find out just how for real Pender is this weekend.

Clarkson/Leigh Boys and Girls lose to BRLD

The Clarkson/Leigh Boys lost 74-33 at home to BRLD Friday night.

The Wolverines tripled up the Patriots 21-7 in the first quarter. BRLD outscored Clarkson/Leigh 18-7 in the second quarter to take a 39-14 lead into the locker room.

BRLD won the third quarter 16-14 to lead 55-28 after three.

The Wolverines put up 19 points in the fourth quarter and held the Patriots to 5.

Blake Paprocki led the way with 11 points and 8 rebounds while Garrett Schroeder and Haden Held notched 10 and 8 points, respectively.

This was another tough loss for Clarkson/Leigh. BRLD is a really good team though.

The Patriots (0-5) square off with Pender (1-3) at home Thursday night.

The Pendragons lost 40-39 at home to Allen Monday night.

This is a game Clarkson/Leigh can win, and should definitely look at it that way.

The Patriots beat Pender in football, so Clarkson/Leigh would love to win in basketball too no doubt.

Both teams really need this game, but I think the Patriots need it more.

Clarkson/Leigh has been competitive in a couple of games, but has just come up on the short end of the stick time after time.

The Patriots' luck is due to change I would say, but it has been a tough year so far for Clarkson/Leigh.

The Patriots have this game with the Pendragons and a game with rival Howells-Dodge on Saturday to round out the week.

These are two very critical games to Clarkson/Leigh's season, in my opinion.

I think these two games could serve as season changers for the Patriots if they play well though.

Both contests could also add to Clarkson/Leigh's frustrations, but I feel the Patriots are due to break through at some point.

Clarkson/Leigh has to play good basketball for four quarters against Pender, and focus on scoring every possession and winning every quarter.

There's a lot of room for improvement when it comes to the Patriots' game, but I feel Clarkson/Leigh can take some big steps in the right directions against the Pendragons, especially if they win.

A win over Pender would be a big confidence booster for the Patriots, in my opinion.

It would also give Clarkson/Leigh some much needed momentum heading into the Howells-Dodge game.

The Clarkson/Leigh Girls were competitive, but lost 52-37 at home to BRLD Friday night.

The Wolverines led 10-6 after one. BRLD won the second quarter 14-12 to go up 24-18 at halftime.

The Wolverines outscored the Patriots 12-5 in the third quarter to lead 36-23 at the end of three.

BRLD put up 16 points in the fourth quarter compared to 14 for Clarkson/Leigh.

Beth Wiese and Halee Steffensmeier led the way with 9 points apiece while Ashlynn Novotony and Hannah Kasik recorded 8 and 7, respectively.

I thought the Patriots played well and were very competitive. Clarkson/Leigh has absolutely nothing to hang their heads about after this game.

The Patriots (2-3) host Pender (4-0) Thursday night.

The Pendragons won 65-22 at home over Allen last time out.

Pender is a great team, and will be really tough for Clarkson/Leigh to beat, but if the Patriots play well and the Pendragons just go through the motions like they have at times this season, then Clarkson/Leigh could pull the upset.

The Patriots don't appear to be scared of or phased by these great teams. Clarkson/Leigh is competing with and playing at a high level against everyone on their schedule.

The Patriots have improved immensely over last season, and are taking a lot of positive steps in the right direction, in my opinion.

It would make these girls' season to upset the Pendragons, and given how well Clarkson/Leigh has played this season and how off Pender has been at times this year, anything can happen.

The Patriots have to play loose, hard, tough, and in a way carefree Thursday night.

Clarkson/Leigh has to come in thinking they have nothing to lose, because they really don't.

The schedule is super tough for the Patriots this season, yet Clarkson/Leigh is competing with the really good teams.

I don't know if the Patriots will beat Pender, but I think Clarkson/Leigh has a chance to make it a 10-12 point game.

That would be such a huge accomplishment and another big step in the right direction for this program.

A lot of Pender's players are seniors while a lot of the Patriots' players are sophomores so this is a good measuring stick for Clarkson/Leigh at the very least to see where they need to be to get to the top.

Win or lose, the Patriots are doing some really nice things this season.

Wisner-Pilger Boys and Girls beat Tekamah-Herman

The Wisner-Pilger Boys blew out Tekamah-Herman 64-15 at home Friday night.

The Gators led the Tigers 12-2 after one. Wisner-Pilger outscored Tekamah-Herman 25-2 in the second quarter to take a 37-4 lead into the locker room.

The Tigers doubled up the Gators 16-8 in the third quarter to go up 53-12 at the end of three.

Tekamah-Herman won the fourth quarter 11-3.

I thought Wisner-Pilger played really good basketball, especially in the first half.

The Gators (2-1) travel to Oakland Thursday night to battle Oakland-Craig (3-2).

The Knights beat Howells-Dodge 58-42 on the road Saturday.

Oakland-Craig has won three in a row, and I think this is going to be a really good game.

The Gators are going to need to play just as well as they did in the first half against the Tigers to beat the Knights, in my opinion.

Wisner-Pilger hasn't beaten a team with a winning record this year, and hasn't played a team with a winning record either, so this will be a very tough test for the Gators I would say.

Wisner-Pilger is definitely capable of winning, but it's going to be tough with the game being on Oakland-Craig's home floor.

The Gators are going to have to contain the Knights' shooters...Garrett Seagren, Carter Thiele, Wyatt Seagren, and Kobe Benne in particular.

Oakland-Craig has a lot of weapons that can hurt you so Wisner-Pilger has to know where these four are at on the court at all times.

It's going to be important for the Gators to play well and bring their best effort.

I don't think Wisner-Pilger can win if they just play average or okay. The Gators are going to need to play a great game to knock off the Knights, in my opinion.

Wisner-Pilger has to prepare themselves mentally and get fired up to play Thursday night.

This is a big game for Wisner-Pilger, and one the Gators are capable of winning if they're on top of their game.

Wisner-Pilger has another tough game with Wayne on Friday so it's important for the Gators to play well Thursday to set the tone for Friday so to speak.

Thursday night's game will be aired on 107.9 the Bull after the girls game, which is slated to start at 6:00 p.m.

The Wisner-Pilger Girls are also 2-1 on the the season after topping Tekamah-Herman 45-40 at home Friday night.

The Gators held a 13-8 lead at the end of one and won the second quarter 9-8 to go up 22-16 at halftime.

The Tigers outscored Wisner-Pilger 9-8 in the third quarter to make it a 30-25 game at the end of three.

Both teams scored 15 points in the fourth quarter.

This was a good win for the Gators. Tekamah-Herman is a better team than their record shows, in my opinion.

Wisner-Pilger (2-1) takes on Oakland-Craig (3-2) on the road Thursday night.

The Knights lost 69-47 on the road at Howells-Dodge on Saturday.

Oakland-Craig has lost two in a row after winning their first three, but the Knights are still a good team.

The Gators have to watch out for Dacey Nelson, Shannon Pille, Kennedy Benne, and Melanie Snader.

Wisner-Pilger has to do everything in their power to slow them down and force other players to beat them.

The Gators may not contain or slow down all of them, but if Wisner-Pilger can limit 2 or 3 of them that could be good enough to win.

Something like give up 20 to Nelson and hold the others to 6 points or less could be a winning recipe for the Gators.

I look for this game to be in the 40's and decided by single digits.

Free throw shooting and offensive execution will be of the utmost importance in this game, in my opinion.

We know both defenses are solid, but who can step up and be the better team offensively? I think both teams are capable offensively so we'll see if one team steps up or if both step up.

I don't think it's going to be easy for Wisner-Pilger to win, especially with the game being on the road, but anything is possible, and the Gators have to go into the game with the mindset that they are going to win and that's all there is to it.

This is a big week for Wisner-Pilger with Wayne coming in on Friday so the Gators need to play well on Thursday to give themselves some confidence and momentum for Friday's game.

Thursday's game will be aired on 107.9 the Bull, and start at 6:00 p.m.

Oakland-Craig Boys top Pender and Howells-Dodge; Girls lose to both

The Oakland-Craig Boys have caught fire, defeating Pender 75-36 on the road Friday night, and Howells-Dodge 58-42 on the road Saturday.

The Knights spurted out to a 24-9 lead on the Pendragons after one. Oakland-Craig outscored Pender 19-7 in the second quarter to go up 43-16 at halftime.

The Knights won the third quarter 18-13 to make it a 61-29 game at the end of three.

Oakland-Craig doubled up the Pendragons 14-7 in the fourth quarter.

The Knights were led by Garrett Seagren, who had a game-high 16 points. Freshman Wyatt Seagren, Tyson Harney, and Carter Thiele were also in double figures with 10 apiece while Kobe Benne and Jared Mulder notched 9 and 8, respectively. Thiele added 7 rebounds.

Head Coach Aaron Meyer.

"But I was really pleased with our bigs. Wyatt (Seagren) had a really good game. Had double figures by halftime. Cole Bures really played well. Played big, had some blocks, had some boards, finished inside a little bit. So really pleased with the young boys there."

Meyer credits "team play" for the win.

"It was really unselfish play all the way around. Last year I felt like we were one pass maybe, and chucking it up. And I find myself this year going shoot that shot. So we're passing up some looks, but it's unselfish play, and then the guys are meshing so much better."

Aaron Meyer adds it was a great win.

"We played a pretty solid game from start to finish. We wanted to speed up the pace of the game and attack the rim. Our 3 young posts combined for 24 points, so I was pleased to see growth there. All in all we are playing very unselfish basketball right now."

The Knights led the Jaguars 18-11 after one before outscoring Howells-Dodge 13-6 in the second quarter to take a 31-17 lead into the locker room.

Howells-Dodge won the third quarter 14-11 to make it a 42-31 game at the end of three.

Oakland-Craig put up 16 points in the fourth quarter compared to 11 for the Jaguars.

Garrett Seagren totaled 19 points and 8 rebounds while Thiele and Wyatt Seagren recorded 18 and 10, respectively.

Meyer says it was a great team win.

"With the schedule we've had, I really felt this game would be a true measuring stick for us. From the very first possession, we made a statement that we were going to trust one another, and take the best shot possible. Defensively, we had a game plan, and we ran it perfectly. We didn't have the greatest outside shooting night, but we took the right shots, which will always be rewarding in the end. We also had some young guys playing through injuries, so I can't say enough about their toughness."


Oakland-Craig (3-2) takes on Wisner-Pilger (2-1) at home Thursday night.

The Gators beat Tekamah-Herman 64-15 at home Friday night.

I think Wisner-Pilger is a good team that can and will give the Knights a good battle.

I feel that the Gators will be the third toughest team Oakland-Craig will have faced all year.

With that said, Wisner-Pilger hasn't really faced or beaten anybody of high quality yet this season so I do like the Knights to beat the Gators.

Oakland-Craig is gelling right now, and playing their best basketball of the season at the moment, in my opinion.

The Knights have really started to play well on both ends of the floor, and turned the corner in their last three ball games.

I know all three teams Oakland-Craig beat had losing records when the Knights took them down, but I still think this Oakland-Craig team is the real deal.

It wouldn't surprise me to see the Knights play well and run the table until the Holiday Break.

I think Wisner-Pilger would be Oakland-Craig's biggest win of the season, and a win over the Gators would give the Knights even more confidence than they have already, in my opinion.

This team is playing great basketball right now, and I look for Oakland-Craig to continue their winning ways Thursday night.

Things are coming together nicely for the Knights, and Oakland-Craig has to be pretty darn happy with the way they are playing right now I would say.

The Knights can't get comfortable and be satisfied though. Oakland-Craig has to remain hungry and must keep playing hard. The Knights have to want more.

Thursday night's game is set to start after the girls game, which is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m.

The Oakland-Craig Girls lost 49-41 at Pender Friday night, and 69-47 at Howells-Dodge on Saturday.

Pender jumped out to a 17-4 lead at the end of one. The Pendragons doubled up the Knights 16-8 in the second quarter to take a 33-12 lead into the locker room.

Oakland-Craig made a game of it in the third quarter, outscoring Pender 17-9 to make it a 42-29 game at the end of three.

The Knights won the fourth quarter 12-7.

Dacey Nelson had a team-high 20 points for Oakland-Craig while Kennedy Benne added 8.

Head Coach Joe Anderson.

"Their pressure was a lot more than what we've seen, and what we see in practice probably. But I credit our girls that kept coming back in that second half. We got it to 7 with like 5 minutes left. We really came out well the start of that fourth quarter."

Anderson adds his team was hurt by a slow start.

"I told our girls at halftime I said you don't spot them 15 points we're right there. We played so much harder in that second half. Our kids really came out and played a lot more aggressive, attacking the basket a lot better, got them in some foul trouble."

The Jaguars held a 15-10 lead on the Knights at the end of one. Howells-Dodge outscored Oakland-Craig 21-10 in the second quarter to go up 36-20 at halftime.

The Jaguars won the third quarter 24-14 to lead 60-34 at the end of three.

The Knights put up 13 points in the fourth quarter compared to 9 for Howells-Dodge.

Nelson notched 13 points and 9 rebounds while Benne and Melanie Snader totaled 11 and 9 points, respectively.

I thought Oakland-Craig played a really good second half and competed hard against Pender. The Jaguars simply proved to be too much for the Knights.

Oakland-Craig (3-2) hosts Wisner-Pilger (2-1) Thursday night.

The Gators downed Tekamah-Herman 45-40 at home Friday night.

I think Wisner-Pilger is a pretty good team this year, but I think the Knights can beat the Gators, especially with the game being in Oakland.

I know Oakland-Craig is on a two-game losing streak, but you have to look at who the Knights were beat by.

I feel this game with Wisner-Pilger is a lot like Wisner-Pilger's game with Tekamah-Herman in that both teams are pretty even.

I give the edge to the Knights with the game being in Oakland, but the Gators are no slouch, and I fully expect this game to be close and tightly contested.

Nelson, Snader, Benne, and Shannon Pille need to all have big games for the Knights.

Oakland-Craig also has to play sound defense, which is their bread and butter.

I look for this game to be low scoring and for both defenses to show up and play great games.

I think this is going to be your typical street fight between two pretty scrappy teams.

The Knights have to play physical and use their athleticism and speed to get out in transition to score easy baskets given their lack of height.

Oakland-Craig has to stay out of foul trouble, and be committed to playing straight up, in your face defense for four quarters.

The Knights have to execute on offense and limit turnovers. Oakland-Craig has to make sharp, crisp, and smart passes, and work the ball around the floor for good, open shots.

Getting to the free throw line and converting at the charity stripe is also going to be critical for the Knights, in my opinion.

Thursday night's game can be heard on 107.9 the Bull with tip-off scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Winnebago Boys down Omaha Nation; Girls fall

The Winnebago Boys beat Omaha Nation 82-55 at home Thursday night.

The Indians held a 22-12 lead at the end of one. Winnebago outscored Omaha Nation 26-10 in the second quarter to take a 48-22 lead into the locker room.

The Indians won the third quarter 27-11 to go up 75-33 at the end of three.

The Chiefs put up 22 points in the fourth quarter and held Winnebago to 7.

This was a great performance from Winnebago. The Indians played great basketball the first three quarters.

Winnebago (3-0) takes on Tiospa Zina, SD at the Lakota Nation Invitational in Rapid City, SD Wednesday morning.

The Wambdi is 0-1 on the season.

I look for the Indians do well on Wednesday and throughout this entire tournament.

I think fans will see Winnebago perform at a high level all four days of this tournament.

I don't know anything about Tiospa Zina, but David Wingett, Drake Gorrin, Manape Cleveland, D'Von LaPointe, Cedrick Blackdeer, and Miguel Baker, among others, need to have great games for the Indians.

I look for Winnebago to take care of business and advance to the next round on Thursday.

This is an important time in the Indians' season.

Winnebago has this tournament, and the game with Omaha Central next week.

These are the type of games and tournaments you live for if you are the Indians.

Winnebago has to remain focused, humble, and hungry to get where they want to.

The Indians just have to come out and play their game on Wednesday. Winnebago has to do what they have been doing all season long, which is dominant people from start to finish.

The Indians have to do what they did against Homer and Omaha Nation this entire tournament. If Winnebago does that they should give themselves a good chance to win this Invitational again.

As I mentioned before, these next two weeks are big for Winnebago basketball.

These games this week and the Omaha Central game next week will tell a lot about this already storied program, in my opinion.

Game time is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at Ice Arena.

The Winnebago Girls lost 72-44 at home to Omaha Nation Thursday night.

I figured the Indians would play better than they did, but credit the Chiefs for a well played game.

Winnebago (2-1) takes on Custer, SD (1-1) at the Lakota Nation Invitational in Rapid City, SD Wednesday evening.

I look for the Indians to have a good showing in this contest and keep things respectable.

I think Winnebago is a better team than what they showed against Omaha Nation, and will be out to prove it.

The Indians may or may not win on Wednesday, but this is a great experience for these players, coaches, and fans.

Not many programs get to play in out of state tournaments like this. This is truly special for the Indians.

Winnebago needs to play well with Pender coming up next Thursday at Ralston Arena though.

The Indians can't afford to play poorly in this Invitational if they hope to gain any momentum for the matchup with the Pendragons.

Regardless, what an exciting time this is for this program.

This is great exposure for these kids, and will give them an idea of what big time basketball is all about.

A lot of people in South Dakota and the Omaha Metro will learn a lot about Winnebago Girls Basketball in the next week and-a-half so the Indians have to do their best to play good basketball and represent their school well.

This a big and important time of the young season for Winnebago. There's a need for the Indians to play well, and take some steps in the right direction in building the program.

If Winnebago can win a game or two in this week's tournament it could help them out heading into the Pender game.

Wednesday's game is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at the Civic Center.

Howells-Dodge Boys lose to Oakland-Craig; Girls top Knights

The Howells-Dodge Boys fell 58-42 at home to Oakland-Craig on Saturday.

The Knights led 18-11 after one before outscoring the Jaguars 13-6 in the second quarter to take a 31-17 lead into the locker room.

Howells-Dodge won the third quarter 14-11 to make it a 42-31 game at the end of three.

Oakland-Craig put up 16 points in the fourth quarter compared to 11 for the Jaguars.

Kade Hegemann led the way with 13 points while Lane Hegemann totaled 10.

Head Coach Cole Fischer says there are things his team needs to work on.

"We have to work on defense positioning and be more effective on offense. "

Howells-Dodge (2-3) travels to West Point to take on West Point-Beemer (2-2) Tuesday night.

The Cadets lost 71-30 at North Bend Central Thursday night.

Both teams have been a bit inconsistent this season, and could really use a win.

I feel both teams have played well at times this year, and struggled at others.

It's critical for the Jaguars to play well, because if they don't, Howells-Dodge is going to have to hope West Point-Beemer plays poorly too to have a chance to win.

The Jaguars have to get back to playing the type of basketball they are capable of playing, and played earlier this season.

This is a big week for Howells-Dodge as they have BRLD on Friday and rival Clarkson/Leigh on Saturday.

I think the Jaguars could live with going 2-1 this week, but anything less than that would have to be considered a disappointment in my mind.

Howells-Dodge has to perform at a higher level on offense, and become tougher and nastier defensively.

The Cadets have a great defense, and the Streeter boys are tough, so the Jaguars have to find a way to be great defensively themselves, and slow down those two.

I look for this game to be decided by single digits, more specifically 5 points or less.

I think both of these teams are fairly even, which should make for a close, tightly contested ball game.

I honestly give West Point-Beemer the edge since they're the bigger school and playing on their home floor, but if the Cadets play the way they did against North Bend Central, then Howells-Dodge should have more than a good chance to win.

Tuesday night's game will be aired on 107.9 the Bull following the girls game, which is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m.

The Howells-Dodge Girls topped Oakland-Craig 69-47 at home on Saturday.

The Jaguars held a 15-10 lead on the Knights at the end of one. Howells-Dodge outscored Oakland-Craig 21-10 in the second quarter to go up 36-20 at halftime.

The Jaguars won the third quarter 24-14 to lead 60-34 at the end of three.

The Knights put up 13 points in the fourth quarter compared to 9 for Howells-Dodge.

Sam Brester had a game-high 25 points while Erin Prusa and Macey Kulhanek registered 12 apiece. Chelsea Bayer added 7 while Prusa pulled down 9 rebounds.

I thought the Jaguars played a great game on Saturday. Howells-Dodge was lights out through the first three quarters.

The Jaguars (5-0) take on West Point-Beemer (1-3) on the road Tuesday night.

The Cadets lost 54-31 at North Bend Central Thursday night.

I look for Howells-Dodge to win fairly big over West Point-Beemer.

I think the Jaguars will take this game by about 20 points.

The Cadets are young, and lack that big scorer, while Howells-Dodge is a veteran and experienced team that has a lot of great players.

I think the game could be a little closer than a 20-point game with the contest being in West Point, but I see the Jaguars winning pretty easily.

Howells-Dodge has a big showdown with BRLD on Friday so the Jaguars have to play well and build a big lead on Tuesday so they can rest starters in the fourth quarter.

Howells-Dodge has only had a couple of close games this season, and I don't see Tuesday being a third.

West Point-Beemer is certainly a capable team, but the Cadets just haven't shown me enough so far this season for me to believe they can compete with and beat the Jaguars.

Bethany Anderson is a tough, quality player for West Point-Beemer, as is Brittney Hinkel and Abbey Dale, but the Cadets have really yet to get all three of them going offensively at once.

Perhaps this is the game where all three click, but it's going to be really tough.

Howells-Dodge is playing great basketball right now, and I look for the Jaguars to continue their winning ways Tuesday night.

If Howells-Dodge could head into the GACC Holiday Tournament undefeated, that would be really good.

Tuesday night's game against West Point-Beemer can be heard on 107.9 the Bull with tip-off at 6:00 p.m.