North Bend Central Boys and Girls 3-1 in last four games

The North Bend Central Boys are 3-1 in their last four games, downing Raymond Central 84-43 on the road on Thursday, December 22nd, and beating Nebraska City 67-50 last Thursday at the North Bend Central Holiday Tournament, before losing 58-33 to Elkhorn Mount Michael in the championship game last Friday. The Tigers defeated Clarkson/Leigh 73-39 at home Tuesday night.

The Tigers led the Mustangs 14-12 after one. North Bend Central won the second quarter 18-12 to go up 32-24 at halftime.

The Tigers outscored Raymond Central 29-11 in the third quarter to lead 61-35 at the end of three.

North Bend Central outlasted the Mustangs 23-8 in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers jumped out to a 23-11 lead on the Pioneers at the end of one. Nebraska City won the second quarter 15-12 to make it a 35-26 game at halftime.

North Bend Central outscored the Pioneers 24-14 in the third quarter to go up 59-40 after three.

Nebraska City outlasted the Tigers 10-8 in the fourth quarter.

Jake Wietfeld led the way with 26 points while Tanner Wietfeld notched 17. John Emanuel and Austin Endorf registered 15 and 7, respectively.

The Knights led North Bend Central 18-15 after one. Elkhorn Mount Michael doubled up the Tigers 14-7 in the second quarter to take a 32-22 lead into the locker room.

The Knights won the second quarter 16-9 to go up 48-31 at the end of three.

Elkhorn Mount Michael outscored North Bend Central 10-2 in the fourth quarter,

Jake Wietfeld had a team-high 13 points while Emanuel notched 11.

North Bend Central led the Patriots 19-16 after one. The Tigers tripled up the Patriots 21-7 in the second quarter to take a 40-23 lead into the locker room.

North Bend Central won the third quarter 20-13 to go up 60-36 at the end of three.

The Tigers outlasted Clarkson/Leigh 13-9 in the fourth quarter.

Jake Wietfeld posted a game-high 24 points while Matt Ortmeier added 12. James Seymour and Tanner Wietfeld chipped in 10 and 9, respectively.

Head Coach Jon Baehr on his players.

"Yeah we were able to have a balanced scoring attack there a little bit as the game wore on. Jake obviously led us in scoring again. But Matt had a tremendous game for us, especially in the first half he was really aggressive. James Seymour had a really solid game. John was right there. Tanner was right there. We just have a lot of guys that have the ability to stick the ball in the hole. Especially when we kind of play as a unit. We get the ball moving. We get people out of place, we have a lot of guys that can attack."

The Tigers (7-1) take on Logan View/Scribner-Snyder (4-4) on the road Friday night.

The Raiders lost 36-29 to defending Class C-2 State Runner-Up Elmwood-Murdock in the Fort Calhoun Holiday Tournament Championship on Friday.

Baehr expects a tougher game.

"They're coach does a nice job preparing them. They got a couple really nice players who can really score the ball effectively. And they play very hard. It'll be there. And we're going to get their best shot and we're going to have to come ready to play basketball cause it will be a big game for us."

Ben Moxness and Jacob Polk are two players North Bend Central really has to watch out for.

The Raiders may be 4-4, but they have played a tough schedule.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder has wins over 9-2 Oakland-Craig and 6-3 Wayne so the Raiders can definitely play ball.

I felt the Tigers sort of rediscovered themselves on Tuesday though.

I don't think North Bend Central turned in their best performance against Elkhorn Mount Michael, although losing to a Class B team is understandable.

I just felt like the Tigers got back to doing what they do best, which is score the ball a ton and play excellent defense.

With that said, North Bend Central has their work cut out for them against Logan View/Scribner-Snyder.

The Raiders can really score and play good defense too so the Tigers are going to need to be on top of their game.

North Bend Central has been the more consistent team this season, but Logan View/Scribner-Snyder has played a much tougher schedule.

I think the game being a home game for the Raiders gives them an advantage in a way, but the Tigers simply know how to win.

It should be a really good game Friday night, one the fans really enjoy. There's a lot of talented athletes on both teams, and I look for a very close game between the two squads.

The North Bend Central Girls are also 3-1 in their last four games, winning 52-51 in overtime at Raymond Central on Thursday, December 22nd, and 60-27 over Nebraska City in the North Bend Central Holiday Tournament last Thursday, before falling 45-44 to Omaha Concordia in the championship game on Friday. The Tigers won 46-27 at home over Clarkson/Leigh Tuesday night.

The Tigers and Raymond Central were tied at 9 at the end of one. North Bend Central won the second quarter 13-11 to go up 22-20 at halftime.

Raymond Central outscored the Tigers 14-11 in the third quarter to lead 34-33 at the end of three.

North Bend Central outlasted Raymond Central 9-8 in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 42 at the end of regulation.

The Tigers won the extra frame 10-9.

North Bend Central tripled up the Pioneers 12-4 in the first quarter. The Tigers outscored Nebraska City 16-5 in the second quarter to go up 28-9 at halftime.

North Bend Central outlasted the Pioneers 18-7 in the third quarter to lead 46-16 at the end of three.

The Tigers won the fourth quarter 14-11.

Omaha Concordia held an 11-8 lead on North Bend Central after one. The Tigers blanked the Mustangs 9-0 in the second quarter to take a 17-11 lead into the locker room.

Omaha Concordia won the third quarter 15-10 to make it a 27-26 game at the end of three.

The Mustangs outscored North Bend Central 19-17 in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers doubled up the Patriots 8-4 in the first quarter. North Bend Central won the second quarter 8-3 to take a 16-7 lead into the locker room.

The Tigers outscored Clarkson/Leigh 13-10 in the third quarter to make it a 29-17 lead at the end of three.

North Bend Central outlasted the Patriots 17-10 in the fourth quarter.

Kristin Lux had a game-high 12 points for the Tigers while Brooke Fredrickson and Lauren Emanuel notched 8 and 7, respectively.

Head Coach Aaron Sterup on the game.

"It's kind of what it looks like coming out of the Holiday Break usually. Neither team could put the ball in the basket very well. And some of that was good defense. But it wasn't a game for the spectators to enjoy that's for sure."

Sterup says it was a sloppy game but nine of their players scored.

"That was probably our biggest frustration was putting the ball in the basket. So it was at least good to see that the points were kind of spread out. And we were getting some from a lot of people. Cause if you're going to be a good team you got to have a lot of people score. And so I thought we at least looked offensive a little bit."

The Tigers (6-3) take on Logan View/Scribner-Snyder (3-5) on the road Friday night.

The Raiders won 60-18 over Omaha Brownell-Talbot in the Fort Calhoun Holiday Tournament Consolation Game on Friday.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder is much improved I would say, and North Bend Central's offense has been really stagnant and struggled at times this year.

I don't think the Tigers are in any danger of losing this game, but the Raiders cannot be underestimated or taken lightly.

North Bend Central needs to come out with their hair on fire and play with a purpose Friday night.

The Tigers have to play the kind of defense they played against the Patriots, and be as efficient on offense as they were in that game.

I think North Bend Central's offense has been better than it was last year.

I wouldn't say it has been dynamic by any means, but the Tigers are scoring the ball in the 40's, 50's and 60's on a consistent basis, which is a good sign.

I look for North Bend Central to have a breakout game on Friday, and score a lot of points.

I think the Tigers have what it takes to blowout the Raiders, but this game could also be close and respectable, in my opinion.

Both teams have been playing good as of late, and that should make for a competitive ball game.

North Bend Central has another game on Tuesday against Arlington before a tough four-game stretch so it's important for the Tigers to play well in both of those games to help prepare themselves for what lies ahead.

These next two games are games North Bend Central needs to win. Anything less than dominating performances would have to be considered a letdown and disappointing to say the least.

The bottomline is win, but the Tigers would like to get the job done in emphatic and impressive fashion, there's no doubt about it.

North Bend Central has a chance to pick up two big wins on Friday and Tuesday, and continue their solid play.

BRLD Boys 2-2 in last four games; Girls 3-2 in last five

The BRLD Boys are 2-2 in their last four games, falling 48-43 at home to Ponca on Thursday, December 22nd before beating Homer 66-24 in the first round of the GACC Holiday Tournament on Thursday, and losing 49-41 to the host Bluejays in the championship game on Friday. The Wolverines topped Cedar Bluffs 74-30 at home Tuesday night.

The Indians led 11-7 after one. Ponca outscored BRLD 18-7 in the second quarter to take a 29-14 lead into the locker room.

The Indians won the third quarter 13-11 to go up 42-25 at the end of three.

The Wolverines tripled up Ponca 18-6 in the fourth quarter.

Kenyan Lovejoy posted a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds while Trent Gatewood and Montana Riecken notched 9 and 8 points, respectively.

BRLD tripled up the Knights 21-7 in the first quarter. The Wolverines won the second quarter 16-6 to go up 37-13 at halftime.

BRLD outscored Homer 19-6 in the third quarter to lead 56-19 at the end of three.

The Wolverines doubled up the Knights 10-5 in the fourth quarter.

Cole Christofferson had a team-high 10 points while Lovejoy, Jaxon Johnson, and Darwin Snyder had 9 points apiece. Lovejoy added 10 rebounds.

BRLD held a 10-7 lead on GACC after one. The Bluejays outscored the Wolverines 17-10 in the second quarter to take a 24-20 lead into the locker room.

BRLD bounced back in the third quarter, winning the frame 14-8 to go up 34-32 at the end of three.

GACC erupted in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Wolverines 17-7 to seal the deal.

Nolan Plagge notched a game-high 16 points for the Bluejays (4-5) while Mitch Haas and Landon Stalp added 13 and 8, respectively.

The Wolverines were led by Riecken, who amassed 12 points and 8 rebounds. Aaron Ras added 10 while Lovejoy and Gatewood registered 8 points and 7 rebounds, and 7 points, respectively.

BRLD led the Wildcats 14-9 after one. The Wolverines won the second quarter 19-10 to take a 33-19 lead into the locker room.

BRLD outscored Cedar Bluffs 22-4 in the third quarter to go up 55-23 at the end of three.

The Wolverines outlasted the Wildcats 19-7 in the fourth quarter.

Lovejoy posted 18 points and 8 rebounds to lead the team while Christofferson and Ras chipped in 12 and 11 points, respectively. Wyatt Hennig added 9 points while Johnson and Gatewood recorded 7 apiece.

BRLD has continued to play good basketball for the most part. The first three quarters of the Ponca game were rough though.

The Wolverines (6-2) take on Tekamah-Herman (0-7) on the road Friday night.

The Tigers lost 50-38 to Friend in a consolation game of the Nebraska Wesleyan Holiday Tournament on Thursday.

BRLD should have no troubles with the Tigers whatsoever, but the Wolverines have to come ready to play for four quarters.

BRLD learned the hard way what not coming to play can result in when they lost to Ponca.

The Wolverines have learned their lesson hopefully, and hopefully that will allow BRLD to play well Friday night.

This is one of those games where the Wolverines need to build a big lead and rest starters.

BRLD has their third game of the week on Saturday against West Point-Beemer so the Wolverines will need to be fresh and ready to go for that game.

BRLD has to make quick work of Tekamah-Herman. The last thing BRLD wants to find themselves in is a dogfight.

The Wolverines have a tough stretch of games coming up in the middle of this month so BRLD has to continue to get better and grow everyday to be ready for that gauntlet of games looming on the horizon.

The Wolverines have to remain focused and keep their eye on the prize, which is no doubt winning sub-districts and a district final and reaching state.

There's a lot left for BRLD to accomplish so the Wolverines have to keep plugging away and improving as a team.

BRLD has their work cut out for them down the stretch so dominating against teams like Tekamah-Herman is a must.

If you call yourself a championship team and a state contender, you put away teams like the Tigers early.

With this said, I look for the Wolverines to win in similar fashion to what they did on Tuesday. BRLD should have no trouble with Tekamah-Herman whatsoever.

I would be surprised if the Wolverines didn't finish the week 3-0.

The BRLD Girls are 3-2 in their last five games, losing 58-56 at home to Pender on Tuesday, December 20th, and beating Ponca 63-59 at home on Thursday, December 22nd, before losing 62-35 to GACC at the GACC Holiday Tournament on Thursday, but beating Homer 72-67 on Friday for third place. The Wolverines handled Cedar Bluffs 78-14 at home Tuesday night.

The Pendragons doubled up the Wolverines 18-9 in the first quarter. Pender won the second quarter 17-14 to take a 35-23 lead into the locker room.

BRLD outscored the Pendragons 21-5 in the third quarter to take the lead at 44-40 at the end of three.

Pender outlasted the Wolverines 18-12 in the fourth quarter.

Kelly Wakeley notched 17 points and 8 rebounds while Vicki Gatzemeyer totaled 15 points. Lexie Bacon added 7 points while Tess Nottleman recorded 7 rebounds.

BRLD led the Indians 21-16 after one. Ponca won the second quarter 20-16 to make it a 37-36 game at halftime in favor of the Wolverines.

The Indians outscored BRLD 15-10 in the third quarter to go in front 51-47 after three.

The Wolverines doubled up Ponca 16-8 in the fourth quarter.

Gatzemeyer totaled 20 points while Wakeley and Bacon notched 15 and 10, respectively. Paige Peters added 9.

Head Coach Rod Peters' Wolverines pulled out the win.

"I knew they were a very well coached team. Bob Hayes he coached the boys for a long time. And they've got some nice athletes on their team too. So the one thing I thought they did a really good job of, they did a really good job of rebounding. If you were watching the game here we didn't rebound very well."

Peters.

"We thought we might be able to get a few more turnovers than we did. Unfortunately that didn't happen. So then we actually backed off our 1-3-1 a little bit, and played a little bit lower. And they just weren't willing to take that open shot on the outside. We kind of took away their inside game, and I thought we  made a few adjustments in that fourth quarter and did a really nice job."

GACC spurted out to an 8-0 lead and led the Wolverines 18-9 after one. The Bluejays won the second quarter 19-12 to go up 37-21 at halftime.

GACC outscored BRLD 13-2 in the third quarter to lead 50-23 at the end of three.

Both teams scored 12 points in the fourth quarter.

The Wolverines were led by Bacon and Wakeley, who had 9 points apiece. Gatzemeyer added 8. Tiahna Bonneau chipped in 7 rebounds.

The Knights held a 24-22 lead on BRLD after one. The Wolverines outscored Homer 17-11 in the second quarter to go up 39-35 at halftime.

BRLD won the third quarter 19-18 to make it a 58-53 game after three.

Both teams scored 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Wakeley led the way with 16 points while Gatzemeyer added 15. Bacon and Nottleman contributed 13 and 10, respectively, while Peters had 8. Bonneau added 7 rebounds.

The Wolverines jumped out to a 25-1 lead on the Wildcats after one. BRLD outscored Cedar Bluffs 27-6 in the second quarter to take a 52-7 lead into the locker room.

The Wolverines tripled up the Wildcats 12-4 in the third quarter to go up 64-11 at the end of three.

BRLD outlasted Cedar Bluffs 14-3 in the fourth quarter.

Nottleman had a game-high 16 points while Wakeley and Bacon contributed 12 apiece. Simonsen registered 7 points while Justice Johnson recorded 10 rebounds.

The Wolverines appeared to be in a bit of a funk in the Holiday Tournament, but got back on track against Cedar Bluffs.

BRLD (7-2) takes on Tekamah-Herman (1-8) on the road Friday night.

The Tigers lost 49-38 at Omaha Roncalli Tuesday night.

Tekamah-Herman has really struggled this season, but I feel like the Tigers are a better team than what they've shown so far.

You can bet Tekamah-Herman will give the Wolverines their best shot and all they can handle, especially with the game being in Tekamah.

BRLD has two games this weekend they should win, but things don't figure to be easy with both contests being on the road.

The Wolverines have to build off the momentum they gained with Tuesday night's win, and use it to find even more success Friday night.

Wakeley, Bacon, Gatzemeyer, Nottleman, Peters, and others have to play at a high level for BRLD.

Tekamah-Herman has been a strong defensive team so far this season, but their offense has really struggled.

The Wolverines' defense hadn't been as good as it was to start the season until Tuesday night, in my opinion. That was largely due to the competition I would say though.

This is a game BRLD should win by 20. The Tigers are a scary 1-8 team though so the Wolverines have to be prepared and ready to play.

It appears getting back in the gym and practicing really helped these girls prior to Tuesday's game so hopefully a couple more days of practice will do BRLD even more good.

I look for the Wolverines to win Friday night's game against Tekamah-Herman and Saturday's game against West Point-Beemer.

It's just hard to go against BRLD in either contest based on records.

You can bet the Wolverines will get both teams' best shot though. BRLD is going to have to earn these wins, they're not just going to be handed to them.

Friday night's game is the first of four in a row on the road for the Wolverines.

West Point-Beemer Boys 2-3 in last five games; Girls 1-5 in last six

The West Point-Beemer Boys are 2-3 in their last five games, losing 52-39 at home to Howells-Dodge on Tuesday, December 13th, before beating O'Neill St. Mary's 53-26 in the first round of the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout in Wayne last Wednesday, losing 51-35 to Hartington Cedar Catholic in the Shootout on Thursday, and falling 55-52 to Wayne in the 3rd place game on Friday. The Cadets beat Fort Calhoun 47-35 on the road Tuesday night.

West Point-Beemer held an 11-7 lead on the Jaguars at the end of one.

The Jaguars won the second quarter 12-10 to make it a 21-19 game at halftime.

Howells-Dodge exploded in the third quarter, outscoring the Cadets 17-6 to lead 36-27 at the end of three. The end of the quarter was highlighted by Zach Bayer's three pointer to end the period.

The Jaguars won the fourth quarter 16-12.

West Point-Beemer was led by Cole Hughes, who had 12 points. Chase Streeter added 7 points and 12 rebounds while Austin Streeter notched 7 rebounds.

Head Coach Cody Bobolz.

"It's still finding that consistency, that continuity for us offensively to be a good team, and Cole played great, gave us some great scoring, but we got to find more of it."

Bobolz says Howells-Dodge came to play.

"I didn't think they'd shoot as well as they did, but they made some huge threes at key times. But the key to the game was in the third quarter when they came out and really put it to us and we didn't respond very well."

The Cadets led the Cardinals 17-9 at the end of one.

West Point-Beemer outscored O'Neill St. Mary's 14-5 in the second quarter to take a 31-14 lead into the locker room.

The Cadets won the third quarter 13-7 to go up 44-21 at the end of three.

West Point-Beemer put up 9 points in the fourth quarter compared to 5 for the Cardinals.

Hughes finished with a team-high 12 points while Austin Streeter had 10 points and 7 rebounds. Tate Ernesti added 7 points while Chase Streeter totaled 9 rebounds.

The Trojans doubled up the Cadets 14-7 in the first quarter. Both teams scored 12 points in the second quarter, and the halftime score was 26-19 in favor of Hartington Cedar Catholic.

The Trojans outscored West Point-Beemer 11-2 in the third quarter, and led 37-21 at the end of three.

Both teams scored 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Chase Streeter totaled 12 points while Austin Streeter chipped in 9.

The Blue Devils got out to a 16-9 lead at the end of one. The Cadets won the second quarter 13-8 to make it a 24-22 game at halftime.

Wayne outscored West Point-Beemer 19-13 in the third quarter to extend their lead to 43-35 at the end of three.

The Cadets put up 17 points in the fourth quarter compared to 12 for the Blue Devils. 

Austin Streeter had a game-high 20 points while Blake Anderson totaled 11. Hughes registered 9 points while Chase Streeter totaled 10 rebounds.

West Point-Beemer led the Pioneers 11-5 after one. The Cadets won the second quarter 7-2 to take an 18-7 lead into the locker room.

Fort Calhoun won the third quarter 17-12 to make it a 30-24 game at the end of three in favor of West Point-Beemer.

The Cadets outscored the Pioneers 17-11 in the fourth quarter.

Ben Vander Griend led the way with 16 points while Austin Streeter had 10. Anderson added 10 rebounds.

I think the Cadets have been playing pretty good basketball as of late.

West Point-Beemer (4-5) travels to Wisner-Pilger (3-6) Friday night in a game that can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.

The Gators lost 58-44 to Ponca in the 3rd place game of the Shootout on the Elkhorn on Friday.

I look for this Friday night's game to be very close, compelling, and entertaining.

I think both defenses will play well, making the game a tight and low scoring game.

I feel the Cadets are well equipped to knock off Wisner-Pilger, and have a good chance of doing so even though the game is in Wisner.

West Point-Beemer has to focus on slowing down Keegan Ruskamp and Jayden Raabe.

Those two are good players for the Gators, and players the Cadets need to watch out for.

West Point-Beemer has sort of been up and down this year, and has lost a couple of games I thought they might win.

The Cadets are still having a good season and are a good team though. And perhaps a win over Wisner-Pilger would allow West Point-Beemer to play well against BRLD on Saturday.

There are a lot of winnable games in the second half of the season for the Cadets, and playing well and becoming a good, tough, quality basketball team that teams fear starts with beating teams you're supposed to beat.

This is a rivalry game, and it's too close to call in saying who wins as anything can happen, but these are the kinds of games West Point-Beemer needs to win to continue to build their program and get things headed in the right direction.

I look for the Cadets to have a good game plan, and execute on offense and play solid defense. I also expect the Gators to play well too.

The team that executes the best, knocks down their free throws, and makes the big plays when it matters most has the best chance of coming out on top, in my opinion.

This game is for Cuming County bragging rights, and all the things that go with that.

West Point-Beemer got Wisner-Pilger in Football so we'll see who comes out on top in Boys Basketball.

The game can be heard on the Bull after the Girls game, which is scheduled to start at 6:15 p.m.

The West Point-Beemer Girls are 1-5 in their last six games, losing 42-24 at home to Howells-Dodge on Tuesday, December 13th, 51-49 at Fremont Bergan on Tuesday, December 20th, 51-37 to O'Neill St. Mary's last Wednesday at the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout in Wayne, and 53-40 to Hartington Cedar Catholic in the Shootout on Thursday, before beating Laurel-Concord-Coleridge 45-34 for 7th place on Friday. The Cadets lost 57-43 at Fort Calhoun Tuesday night.

Howells-Dodge led 8-7 after one. The Jaguars won the second quarter 10-8 to take an 18-15 lead into the locker room.

Howells-Dodge notched 8 points in the third quarter compared to 7 for the Cadets to make it a 26-22 game at the end of three in favor of the Jaguars.

Howells-Dodge outscored West Point-Beemer 16-2 in the fourth quarter.

Brittney Hinkel paced the Cadets with 8 points while Bethany Anderson had 7 points and 13 rebounds.

West Point-Beemer led the Knights 17-14 at the end of one. Fremont Bergan won the second quarter 5-3 to make it a 20-19 game at the half.

The Knights outscored the Cadets 18-14 in the third quarter to take a 37-34 lead after three.

West Point-Beemer won the fourth quarter 15-14.

Anderson had a game-high 22 points and 13 rebounds while Hinkel registered 14 points. Katie Pilakowski totaled 7 rebounds.

 Head Coach Craig Theis says his girls need to be more aggressive on offense.

"We give a great effort on the defensive end, and then on the offensive end we got some girls that don't play with that same tenacity. Go attack the basket. When you get an offensive rebound drawing that contact and going back and finishing. We really are the kind of team right now when that we get hit a little bit, we kind of back away a little bit. And when you play a good team like Howells-Dodge all those putbacks that we had opportunities to make, you got to make them."

The Cardinals led the Cadets 30-21 at halftime.

O'Neill St. Mary's outscored West Point-Beemer 13-10 in the third quarter to make it a 43-31 game at the end of three.

The Cardinals won the fourth quarter 8-6.

Abbey Dale led the way with 11 points. Brooke Haase and Anderson notched 8 points apiece while Haase recorded 8 rebounds.

The Cadets led the Trojans 13-11 after one. Hartington Cedar Catholic outscored West Point-Beemer 17-7 in the second quarter to take a 28-20 lead into the locker room.

The Trojans won the third quarter 15-8 to go up 43-28 at the end of three.

The Cadets notched 12 points in the fourth quarter compared to 10 for Hartington Cedar Catholic.

Hinkel recorded a team-high 12 points while Anderson registered 10 rebounds.

West Point-Beemer led the Bears 7-5 after one. Laurel-Concord-Coleridge won the second quarter 15-14 to make it a 21-20 game at halftime.

The Cadets outscored the Bears 12-8 in the third quarter to lead 33-28 at the end of three.

West Point-Beemer doubled up Laurel-Concord-Coleridge 12-6 in the fourth quarter.

Andrea Hoffman had a team-high 10 points while Makenna Weddle notched 8. Hinkel added 8 rebounds.

The Pioneers tripled up the Cadets 15-5 in the first quarter. Fort Calhoun won the second quarter 14-10 to take a 29-15 lead into the locker room.

West Point-Beemer won the third quarter 15-13 to make it a 42-30 game at the end of three.

The Pioneers outlasted the Cadets 15-13 in the fourth quarter.

Anderson had a team-high 11 points while Hinkel totaled 10. Brooke Haase compiled 7 rebounds.

West Point-Beemer's struggles have lingered into the New Year for whatever reason. The Cadets are just having a difficult season.

West Point-Beemer (2-8) takes on Wisner-Pilger (4-5) on the road Friday night.

The Gators beat Winnebago 67-45 in the 3rd place game of the Shootout on the Elkhorn on Friday.

Wisner-Pilger is a lot like the Cadets in that they have struggled and been a bit inconsistent on the offensive and defensive ends.

Both teams have lost to good teams, and I look for Friday night's game to be very close.

It's going to be tough for West Point-Beemer to win with the game being in Wisner, but the Cadets have to be mentally and physically tough, and be ready to battle for four quarters with a solid Gators' ball club.

There's no doubt West Point-Beemer is capable of winning, it's just simply a matter of going out there and making it happen.

Anderson needs to play well and other girls around her need to step up and perform as well.

The Cadets need to play hard nosed, physical, and aggressive offense and defense, and be in attack mode at all times.

West Point-Beemer has to be relentless with their play, and take it to Wisner-Pilger for four quarters.

There has to be a lot of frustration among the team right now so perhaps the Cadets can take their frustrations out on the Gators, and pick up a win.

West Point-Beemer has a tough home game against BRLD on Saturday so it's important for the Cadets to play well Friday night and give themselves something to feel good about heading into Saturday's game.

Brighter days are ahead for West Point-Beemer, it's just they're going through some growing pains right now, and life without Amanda Hansen has been tough on the Cadets so far.

The most important things though are to continue to improve, have fun, and work hard.

These girls have to be supportive of one another, and must continue to work well together.

They can't give up on themselves or each other. West Point-Beemer has to continue to believe in what they're being told and taught, and make strides every day in practice and in games.

Friday night's game can be heard on 107.9 the Bull beginning at 6:15 p.m.

Emerson-Hubbard Boys 0-4 in last four games; Girls 1-3

The Emerson-Hubbard Boys lost 71-23 at Ponca on Friday, December 16th, 40-29 at Winside on Tuesday, December 20th, 49-28 to Madison at the Madison Holiday Tournament on Thursday, and 62-50 to Elgin Public/Pope John in the Holiday Tournament on Friday.

The Indians led the Pirates 29-3 at the end of one. Ponca won the second quarter 10-6 to make it a 39-9 game at halftime.

The Indians outscored Emerson-Hubbard 17-9 in the third quarter to lead 56-18 at the end of three.

Ponca tripled up the Pirates 15-5 in the fourth quarter.

Jacob Kneifl notched 8 points while Joshua Sebade had 7.

The Wildcats doubled up Emerson-Hubbard 6-3 in the first quarter. Winside outscored the Pirates 12-2 in the second quarter to go up 18-5 at halftime.

The Wildcats totaled 14 points in the third quarter compared to 8 for Emerson-Hubbard, and the score at the end of three was 32-13 in favor of Winside.

The Pirates doubled up the Wildcats 16-8 in the fourth quarter.

Sebade had a team-high 13 points while Kneifl totaled 9 points and 9 rebounds.

The Dragons led 13-6 after one. Madison outscored Emerson-Hubbard 9-4 in the second quarter to lead 22-10 at halftime.

The Pirates won the third quarter 8-7 to make it a 29-18 game at the end of three.

The Dragons doubled up Emerson-Hubbard 20-10 in the fourth quarter.

Sebade registered 12 points and 8 rebounds while Taylor Donner recorded 7 points.

Both the Wolfpack and Pirates scored 13 points in the first quarter. Elgin Public/Pope John outscored Emerson-Hubbard 11-3 in the second quarter to take a 24-16 lead into the locker room.

The Wolfpack won the third quarter 17-14 to go up 41-30 at the end of three.

Elgin Public/Pope John scored 21 points in the fourth quarter compared to 20 for the Pirates.

Kneifl notched a team-high 15 points while Donner managed 14. Connar Newton and Nolan Belt recorded 8 and 7, respectively.

I feel like Emerson-Hubbard is getting better and has gotten close to coming through with a win, but just haven't been able to get the job done for whatever reason.

The Pirates (0-9) take on Pender (2-7) in the Bob Clough Post Holiday Tournament in Homer Friday night.

The Pendragons lost 64-34 at home to Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family Tuesday night.

Pender has played good basketball at times this year, but has struggled at others.

I would say to this point the Pendragons are better this year than they were last, and Emerson-Hubbard may not be as good as they were a season ago, but anything can happen.

I didn't expect Allen to beat Pender and they did, so that certainly has to give the Pirates hope that they can get the job done.

The Pendragons could very well give Emerson-Hubbard their first win of the season.

The Pirates just have to play their best game of the season on both ends of the floor to get the job done.

I feel like Emerson-Hubbard can win Friday night, I just don't know if they will.

It just depends which team shows up...the one that's been blown out numerous times or kept things close on multiple occasions.

The Pirates have kept things close with some teams, and have been blown out by others.

That lack of consistency has ultimately led to their lack of success so far this season, in my opinion.

Perhaps this is the game where Emerson-Hubbard gets things turned around though.

The Pirates are certainly capable of knocking off Pender.

A win has to come Emerson-Hubbard's way at some point...so why not now?

A win and a berth in the championship game would be a big deal for the Pirates.

We'll see what happens Friday night. Emerson-Hubbard just has to play their game, and let things come to them.

The Pirates can't force the issue or play out of control. Emerson-Hubbard has to remain calm, cool, and collected at all times and play up to their potential.

Game time is set for 6:15 p.m.

The Emerson-Hubbard Girls are 1-3 in their last four games, losing 51-40 at Ponca on Friday, December 16th, and beating Winside 51-30 on the road on Tuesday, December 20th, before losing 42-35 to Madison in the Madison Holiday Tournament on Thursday, and 58-23 to Burwell in Friday's consolation game.

The Indians got out to an 18-5 lead on the Pirates at the end of one. Emerson-Hubbard quadrupled up Ponca 8-2 in the second quarter to make it a 20-13 game at halftime.

Both teams scored 14 points in the third quarter, and the score at the end of three was 34-27 in favor of the Indians.

Ponca won the fourth quarter 17-13.

Caleigh Mackling led the way with 14 points while Courtney Bokemper added 11. Melanie Gentrup notched 7.

The Pirates led the Wildcats 25-21 at halftime. Emerson-Hubbard won the third quarter 9-6 to go up 34-27 at the end of three.

The Pirates outscored Winside 17-3 inn the fourth quarter.

Gentrup notched 11 points and 8 rebounds while Taylor Daum posted a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Skye Miller posted 7 rebounds.

The Dragons quadrupled up Emerson-Hubbard 8-2 in the first quarter. Madison outscored the Pirates 17-13 in the second quarter to lead 25-15 at halftime.

Emerson-Hubbard won the third quarter 11-8 to make it a 33-26 game at the end of three.

Both teams scored 9 points in the fourth quarter.

Gentrup totaled a team-high 15 points while Emma Haberman registered 13.

The Longhorns jumped out to a 13-4 lead on the Pirates after one. Burwell outscored Emerson-Hubbard 15-4 in the second quarter to take a 28-8 lead into the locker room.

The Longhorns outlasted the Pirates 16-5 in the third quarter to go up 44-13 at the end of three.

Burwell won the fourth quarter 14-10.

Haberman paced Emerson-Hubbard with 8 points.

I thought the Pirates played really good basketball since I last wrote about them with the exception of the Burwell game. Not sure what happened to Emerson-Hubbard in that game.

The Pirates (3-6) take on Wakefield (3-6) in the Bob Clough Post Holiday Tournament this week.

The Trojans won 48-28 over Neligh-Oakdale in the Shootout on the Elkhorn on Friday.

This should be a very competitive game I would say.

And Emerson-Hubbard has to feel like they've got a chance to win it.

I feel the girls division of this tournament is very competitive.

I think all four teams are capable of playing well and beating one another on any given night.

I'm sure the Pirates would love to get a shot at Pender, and if Emerson-Hubbard is able to knock off Wakefield, the Pirates could very well face the Pendragons in the championship.

Emerson-Hubbard has to get back to playing the type of basketball they are capable of playing though. The Pirates can't afford to have any more games like they had against Burwell.

Emerson-Hubbard has to play the way they did in their three games prior.

If the Pirates do that they should be in good shape.

This is a very winnable game for Emerson-Hubbard. The Pirates just have to come out and play well, and put their minds to it that they're going to win.

Emerson-Hubbard has to have that killer instinct, that drive to put teams away.

The Pirates must find a way to finish strong like they did against Winside.

Emerson-Hubbard also has to avoid the kind of start they had against Ponca.

It's really all about becoming consistent if you are the Pirates.

Once Emerson-Hubbard can start putting together more 4 quarter games, the more games they should win.

There's just not a lot of room or margin for error with this team. The Pirates need to consistently play well every night.

I know teams have off games and off nights every now and then, but Emerson-Hubbard has to do what they can to play at a high level at all times.

Pender Boys 1-4 in last five games; Girls 5-2 in last seven

The Pender Boys are 1-4 in their last five games, winning 49-37 at Clarkson/Leigh on Thursday, December 15th, losing 69-17 to Hartington Cedar Catholic in the first round of the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout at Wayne State last Wednesday, 54-43 to O'Neill St. Mary's at the Shootout on Thursday, 51-36 to Norfolk Catholic at the Shootout on Friday, and 64-34 at home to Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family Tuesday night.

The Pendragons led the Patriots 13-9 at the end of one. Pender doubled up Clarkson/Leigh 20-10 in the second quarter to take a 33-19 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots won the third quarter 11-9 to make it a 42-30 game after three.

Both teams scored 7 points in the fourth quarter.

The Trojans led the Pendragons 24-4 at the end of one. Hartington Cedar Catholic outscored Pender 28-3 in the second quarter to take a 52-7 lead into the locker room.

The Trojans won the third quarter 13-2 to go up 65-9 at the end of three.

The Pendragons doubled up Hartington Cedar Catholic 8-4 in the fourth quarter.

Pender led the Cardinals 14-10 at the end of one. O'Neill St. Mary's won the second quarter 13-9 to tie the game at 23 at halftime.

Both teams scored 9 points in the third quarter, and the score after three was 32 all.

The Cardinals doubled up the Pendragons 22-11 in the fourth quarter.

The Knights held a 22-6 lead on Pender at the end of one. The Pendragons won the second quarter 10-9 to make it a 31-16 game at halftime.

Pender outscored Norfolk Catholic 9-4 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 10 at 35-25 after three.

The Knights put up 16 points in the fourth quarter compared to 11 for the Pendragons.

The Bulldogs went up 17-6 at the end of one. Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family outscored Pender 24-9 in the second quarter to take a 41-15 lead into the locker room.

The Bulldogs won the third quarter 13-8 to go up 54-23 at the end of three.

The Pendragons notched 11 points in the fourth quarter compared to 10 for Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family.

Pender did a good job hanging around with O'Neill St. Mary's and Norfolk Catholic, and beating Clarkson/Leigh, but the Hartington Cedar Catholic and Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family games were simply tough.

The Pendragons (2-7) take on Emerson-Hubbard (0-9) in the Bob Clough Post Holiday Tournament in Homer on Friday.

The Pirates lost 62-50 to Elgin Public/Pope John in the Madison Holiday Tournament Consolation game on Friday.

Emerson-Hubbard hasn't had much success this year, but they Pirates are still capable of playing well and putting a good game together against Pender.

Joshua Sebade, Taylor Donner, and Jacob Kneifl are players to watch out for for the Pirates.

I look at this game the way I looked at the Allen game. It's a game the Pendragons should win, but yet Emerson-Hubbard has to feel they have a chance.

Pender has to come out and play well on both ends of the floor. The Pendragons need to get out in transition, and find ways to manufacture points, while limiting the Pirates' transition opportunities.

Pender has to play smart, but aggressive offense and defense.

These are the types of games the Pendragons can't afford to lose. Emerson-Hubbard is a team Pender should be able to beat and take care of business against.

I thought the same thing with Allen, yet the Eagles won, so the Pendragons have to come out and play their game and play better.

Pender's players have to play with confidence and swagger. The Pendragons have to believe in their minds that they are the better team, and go out and show it.

Pender honestly should play with a bit of a chip on their shoulder given what's happened in recent games.

Here the Pendragons are with a chance to play in the championship of the Bob Clough Tournament.

If Pender can take care of business against and beat Emerson-Hubbard, they will playing for a tournament championship.

That's all you can really ask for at this point if you are the Pendragons.

Tip-off is set for 6:15 p.m. in Homer.

The Pender Girls are 5-2 in their last seven games, beating Clarkson/Leigh 51-33 on the road on Thursday, December 15th, BRLD on the road on Tuesday, December 20th, Winnebago 74-36 at Ralston Arena on Thursday, December 22nd, and Hartington Cedar Catholic 56-50 last Wednesday at the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout in Wayne, before falling 44-39 to O'Neill St. Mary's in the Shootout on Thursday, and beating Norfolk Catholic 53-47 in the Shootout on Friday. The Pendragons fell 49-41 at home to Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family Tuesday night.

The Pendragons held a 19-6 lead on the Patriots at the end of one. Pender outscored Clarkson/Leigh 13-7 in the second quarter to take a 32-13 lead into the locker room.

The Pendragons won the third quarter 12-9 to go up 44-22 at the end of three.

The Patriots notched 11 points in the fourth quarter compared to 7 for Pender.

Kam Anderson led the way with 16 points while Amber English had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Hallie Ballinger contributed 9 points and 11 rebounds. Cecilee Jacobsen added 7 rebounds.

The Pendragons doubled up the Wolverines 18-9 in the first quarter. Pender won the second quarter 17-14 to take a 35-23 lead into the locker room.

BRLD outscored the Pendragons 21-5 in the third quarter to take the lead at 44-40 at the end of three.

Pender outlasted the Wolverines 18-12 in the fourth quarter.

Anderson managed a game-high 22 points while English had 13 points and 8 rebounds. Jacobsen totaled 10 points while Ballinger added 9 rebounds.

Head Coach Larry Ballinger on the win.

"It was a good win. I really appreciated BRLD's effort. They got after it. That was a dog fight so that was a good game."

The Pendragons led the Indians 24-13 at the end of one. Pender won the second quarter 14-8 to go up 38-21 at halftime.

The Pendragons outscored Winnebago 20-7 in the third quarter to make it a 58-28 game at the end of three.

Pender doubled up the Indians 16-8 in the fourth quarter.

Anderson led the way with 26 points while English notched 15. Rylee Lehmkuhl and Faith Morris notched 7 apiece.

The Pendragons jumped out to a 12-5 lead on the Trojans at the end of one. Hartington Cedar Catholic won the second quarter 13-12 to make it a 24-18 game at halftime.

Ballinger totaled a game-high 22 points while Anderson and Jacobsen registered 14 and 10, respectively. Michaela Wegner added 9 rebounds.

Pender held a 13-8 lead on the Cardinals after one. O'Neill St. Mary's outscored the Pendragons 19-6 in the second quarter to go up 27-19 at halftime.

Pender won the third quarter 8-6 to make it a 33-27 game at the end of three.

The Pendragons outlasted the Cardinals 12-11 in the fourth quarter, but it was to no avail.

English had a team-high 12 points while Anderson totaled 8. Ballinger chipped in 7 points and 10 rebounds.

Pender led the Knights 14-12 at the end of one. The Pendragons outscored Norfolk Catholic 17-2 in the second quarter to take a 31-14 lead into the locker room.

The Knights won the third quarter 15-12 to make it a 43-29 game at the end of three.

Norfolk Catholic outscored Pender 18-10 in the fourth quarter.

Anderson poured in a game-high 26 points while English and Ballinger recorded 11 and 8, respectively.

The Pendragons led the Bulldogs 22-21 at halftime.

Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family won the third quarter 10-9 to make it a 31 all game at the end of three.

The Bulldogs outscored Pender 18-10 in the fourth quarter.

English had a team-high 11 points while Ballinger notched 9 points and 7 rebounds. Wegner added 8 while Anderson totaled 7. Jacobsen chipped in 10 rebounds.

The Pendragons are doing very well this year, but didn't finish against the Cardinals and Bulldogs, and so simply need to find a way to close out games against good teams a little bit better.

Pender (9-2) squares off with Homer (3-7) in the Bob Clough Post Holiday Tournament in Homer Thursday night.

The Knights won 45-32 at Randolph Tuesday night.

Homer may be 3-7, but the Knights have played really good basketball their last two games.

Homer only lost 72-67 to BRLD on Friday, and given that and the fact the Knights beat Randolph, Homer should have the Pendragons' attention.

Pender can't afford to come out and take the Knights lightly. The Pendragons need to play well from the get go, and go full throttle for four quarters.

I think Pender's lackadaisical play at times this year has finally caught up to them, and so now it's time to be focused and ready to go for four quarters.

It's January, and the time of year when the Pendragons want to start playing their best basketball.

Pender doesn't necessarily want to peak yet, but they want to get ready to make a run to state.

Every team goes through slumps, I get that, but the Pendragons have to do their best to get out of this little mink funk they are in.

Pender wants to correct mistakes in their play sooner rather than later, so the Pendragons need to fix things as soon as possible.

There's really not a lot to fix in Pender's play right now, maybe just a little bit better offense and focus though.

Scoring 39 and 41 points against teams like O'Neill St. Mary's and Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family makes it tough to win.

The Pendragons have to come out with their hair on fire Thursday night. Pender has to come out and play hard for four quarters, and make a statement.

The Pendragons have already proven they are a great team, but there are just some things in their play that could be more consistent, in my opinion.

That being their offense, focus, and attention to detail.

It's time for Pender to quit messing around and get down to business.

Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. in Homer.

Wisner-Pilger Boys 1-5 in last six games; Girls 2-4

The Wisner-Pilger Boys are 1-5 in their last six games, losing 73-36 at Oakland-Craig on Thursday, December 15th, 57-50 at Arlington on Tuesday, December 20th, and 47-41 at home to Stanton on Thursday, December 22nd before beating Wakefield 71-47 in the Shootout on the Elkhorn last Wednesday, losing 56-44 to Lutheran High Northeast in the Shootout on Thursday, and falling 58-44 to Ponca in the Shootout on Friday.

The Knights exploded early and never looked back, taking a 27-5 lead at the end of one. Oakland-Craig won the second quarter 17-15 to go up 44-20 at halftime.

The Knights outscored the Gators 20-8 in the third quarter to lead 64-28 at the end of three.

Oakland-Craig won the fourth quarter 11-8.

Keegan Ruskamp had a team-high 9 points for Wisner-Pilger while Jayden Raabe notched 8.

Head Coach Duane Mendlik on the loss.

"They're long and they're quick, and they can do a lot of things, but we just wanted to execute what we wanted to do, and we didn't do a very good job of that. They took us out of it early. They shot the ball really well in the first half. I think we had them down at 58%, over 40% at the three-point line, 60% at the two-point line, and some of that is we didn't do a very good job on them."

The Eagles led the Gators 15-11 at the end of one. Wisner-Pilger won the second quarter 15-13 to make it a 28-26 game at halftime.

Arlington outscored the Gators 12-8 in the third quarter to go up 40-34 at the end of three.

The Eagles notched 17 points in the fourth quarter compared to 16 for Wisner-Pilger.

The Mustangs outscored the Gators 22-15 in the first half.

Wisner-Pilger outscored Stanton 16-12 in the third quarter to make it a 34-31 game at the end of three.

The Mustangs won the fourth quarter 13-10.

Wisner-Pilger jumped on the Trojans early and led 23-12 after one. The Gators won the second quarter 19-7 to lead 42-19 at halftime.

Wisner-Pilger outscored Wakefield 17-16 in the third quarter to go up 59-35 at the end of three.

Both teams scored 12 points in the fourth quarter.

Hunter Waterman led all scorers with 18 points while Ruskamp and Raabe totaled 17 and 14, respectively. Gunner Labenz added 8.

Mendlik.

"Yeah we got off to a good start. Keegan Ruskamp did some things really well early. He ran the floor well, and the ball went in the basket. That's the big deal. And defensively I thought we did a pretty good job of taking away some of the things they wanted to do, and hence we get out to a lead, and makes things a little easier."

Despite the lopsided score, Mendlik says their defense could have been better.

"We gave up a lot of threes. I thought we should have got out and defended that a little bit better than what we did. But inside game for them they didn't get much in there, and I thought we rebounded pretty well so it was good game for us, we have not played that well. And in this tournament if you don't play well you're going to be on the loser's side in a hurry."

The Eagles led 14-8 at the end of one. Lutheran High Northeast won the second quarter 13-12 to take a 27-20 lead into the locker room.

The Eagles outscored the Gators 28-12 in the third quarter to go up 55-32 at the end of three.

Wisner-Pilger outscored Lutheran High Northeast 12-1 in the fourth quarter.

The Indians held a 19-9 lead at the end of one. The Gators won the second quarter 14-13 to make it a 32-23 game at halftime.

Both teams scored 13 points in the third quarter, and the score at the end of three was 45-36 in favor of Ponca.

The Indians outscored Wisner-Pilger 13-8 in the fourth quarter.

I thought perhaps the Wakefield win would get this team going, and in a way it may have as Lutheran High Northeast and Ponca are really good teams.

The Gators (3-6) host West Point-Beemer (4-5) Friday night in action that can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.

The Cadets won 47-35 at Fort Calhoun Tuesday night.

West Point-Beemer is a pretty good team. Wisner-Pilger definitely has their work cut out for them.

The Gators have to watch out for Austin and Chase Streeter. Both are very good players who can do damage.

I think this will be a good game. Both teams have been playing good basketball lately, and I look for this contest to be decided by 7 points or less,

It's a pretty even match up if you ask me. I feel Wisner-Pilger is playing the best basketball between the two at the moment though.

Both teams pride their selves on defense, and I look for a close, low scoring, tightly contested ball game.

Execution, free throw shooting, contesting shots, and rebounding will be big in this game, in my opinion.

I feel the team that does those things the best is most likely to come out on top.

This is a rivalry game, and I fully expect both teams to get after one another and play at a high level and with high energy and emotion throughout the game.

Wisner-Pilger, or both teams for that matter, have to keep their cool.

I understand emotions will probably be running high in this game, but the Gators have to keep a cool head and not let their emotions get the best of them.

Wisner-Pilger can't let refs' calls or things said by the crowd get to them.

The Gators have to remain focused for four quarters, and do everything they can to win the game.

That means no technicals, flagrants, or anything else that might cost Wisner-Pilger the game.

Friday night's contest can be heard on the Bull after the Girls Game, which is scheduled to start at 6:15 p.m.

The Wisner-Pilger Girls are 2-4 in their last six games, falling 60-53 at Oakland-Craig on Thursday, December 15th, 47-42 at Arlington on Tuesday, December 20th, and 43-30 at Stanton on Thursday, December 22nd, before beating Wakefield 36-29 last Wednesday at the Shootout on the Elkhorn, losing 53-46 to Battle Creek in the Shootout on Thursday, but beating Winnebago 67-45 in the third place game of the Shootout on Friday.

Oakland-Craig held a 15-12 lead at the end of one. The Gators outscored the Knights 20-11 in the second quarter to take a 32-26 lead into the locker room.

Oakland-Craig roared back in the third quarter though, outscoring Wisner-Pilger 18-8 to go up 44-40 at the end of three.

The Knights won the fourth quarter 16-13.

Jordan Wegner posted a game-high 23 points for Wisner-Pilger. Ariel Meyer totaled and Maci Batenhorst added 8 apiece.

The Eagles led the Gators 9-1 at the end of one. Wisner-Pilger outscored Arlington 18-7 in the second quarter to take a 19-16 lead into the locker room.

The Eagles won the third quarter 13-9 to go up 29-28 after three.

Arlington outlasted the Gators 18-14 in the fourth quarter.

Wisner-Pilger and Stanton were tied at 11 at the end of one. The Mustangs doubled up the Gators 12-6 in the second quarter to take a 23-17 lead into the locker room.

Stanton outscored Wisner-Pilger 15-4 in the third quarter to go up 38-21 at the end of three.

The Gators won the fourth quarter 9-5.

The Gators led the Trojans 8-2 after one, and outscored the Trojans 9-5 in the second quarter to take a 17-7 lead into the locker room.

Wakefield made a game of it by winning the third quarter 11-2 to cut the deficit to 1 at 19-18 at the end of three.

Wisner-Pilger nearly doubled their output through the first three quarters in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Trojans 17-10.

Alexis Heller and Wegner each had 11 points for the Gators.

Head Coach Karrie Bodwell 's girls were limited to just 2 points in the third quarter.

"We have one quarter that we're just not scoring well, and then we kind of lose our focus a little bit, and our intensity drops cause our confidence is dropping. But luckily we held on this one and was able to finish."

The Braves led the Gators 14-11 after one. Battle Creek outscored Wisner-Pilger 15-9 in the second quarter to take a 29-20 lead into the locker room.

The Gators won the third quarter 13-12 to make it a 41-33 game at the end of three.

Wisner-Pilger also won the fourth quarter 13-12 to make up the final score.

The Gators led the Indians 8-6 after one. Wisner-Pilger outscored Winnebago 15-9 in the second quarter to take a 23-15 lead into the locker room.

The Gators won the third quarter 10-9 to go up 33-24 at the end of three.

Wisner-Pilger outlasted the Indians 15-11 in the fourth quarter.

I feel like the Gators sort of picked things up a little bit in the Shootout on the Elkhorn. Winning 2 out of 3 in that tournament is a big accomplishment, in my opinion.

Wisner-Pilger (4-5) takes on Madison (2-8) on the road Thursday night.

The Dragons won 37-33 at Schuyler Tuesday night.

The Gators honestly shouldn't have much trouble with Madison.

Anything can happen on any given night and upsets are always possible, but I think Wisner-Pilger will be able to come away with a win Thursday night.

I think the Gators have a good shot to win both games this week and be above .500 heading into Monday's game with Wayne.

Two wins this week would be much needed and a big accomplishment for this program.

Wisner-Pilger has West Point-Beemer on the road Friday, and given the Cadets' struggles this season, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Gators come out of there with a win.

First things first though, Wisner-Pilger has to take care of business against Madison.

The Dragons can't be overlooked or underestimated the least bit.

Madison has to have the Gators' full respect and attention.

Wisner-Pilger has to continue to play good defense and have the type of offensive game they had against Winnebago.

I feel this game with the Dragons is a chance for the Gators to gain confidence in their shooting and scoring.

Wisner-Pilger has had trouble scoring the ball so far this season, but perhaps the way the Gators shot the ball against Winnebago will carry over into this game with Madison.

I think Wisner-Pilger certainly has a chance to made drastic strides offensively against the Dragons.

I feel the Gators will play one of their better games of the season, and come away with a big win.

I don't see Wisner-Pilger struggling in this game. I think the Gators will come out very focused and determined, and ready to take care of business.

Friday night's game at home against West Point-Beemer can be heard on 107.9 the Bull beginning at 6:15 p.m.

Tekamah-Herman Boys 0-2 in last two games; Girls 0-3 in last three

The Tekamah-Herman Boys lost 74-22 to Humphrey St. Francis and 50-38 to Friend at the Nebraska Wesleyan Holiday Tournament last Wednesday and Thursday.

It was another tough go of things for the Tigers, but I felt like Tekamah-Herman made some strides and played a lot better against the Bulldogs.

The Tigers (0-7) host BRLD (6-2) Friday night.

The Wolverines topped Cedar Bluffs 74-30 at home Tuesday night.

BRLD is a very good team, and it's going to be tough for Tekamah-Herman to knock them off given how both teams' seasons have gone.

With that said, if the Tigers can keep things close and build off the game they had against Friend, then it could go a long ways in Tekamah-Herman turning their season around.

The Tigers have some winnable games coming up so Tekamah-Herman has to get up and be ready for every game from here on out.

The Tigers have to keep working hard and busting their tails to improve.

Tekamah-Herman is in a tough situation in that they don't have a lot of players out for basketball, but at the end of the day that's just an excuse.

The Tigers have to make do with what they have, and work to get better everyday in practice and in games.

Tekamah-Herman has to continue to fight, scrap, and claw the best they can, and make every effort to turn their season around.

The Tigers' best chance at a win appears to be on Tuesday against Clarkson/Leigh so Tekamah-Herman has to gear up for that game and be ready to bring it for four quarters against the Patriots.

First things first though, the Tigers have to come ready to play against the Wolverines, and be ready to go give BRLD everything they've got.

The Wolverines could very well wear down Tekamah-Herman simply due to depth. BRLD has a substantial advantage in numbers so the Wolverines figure to get a lot of kids playing time in this game.

The Tigers have to do their best not to wear out Friday night. I know BRLD is really good and will want to get out and run, but Tekamah-Herman has to do their best to slow down the pace of the game and hang in there.

If the Tigers can keep things close and hang around until the fourth quarter, they may have a shot to win.

The Tekamah-Herman Girls lost 54-34 to Humphrey St. Francis and 37-27 to Deshler at the Nebraska Wesleyan Holiday Tournament last Wednesday and Thursday before falling 49-38 at Omaha Roncalli Tuesday night.

The Tigers led the Flyers 4-1 at the end of one. Humphrey St. Francis outscored Tekamah-Herman 13-6 in the second quarter to take a 14-10 lead into the locker room.

The Flyers outscored the Tigers 23-11 in the third quarter to go up 37-21 at the end of three.

Humphrey St. Francis won the fourth quarter 17-13.

The Dragons jumped out to a 14-4 lead on Tekamah-Herman at the end of one. Both teams scored 8 points in the second quarter, and it was a 22-12 game at halftime in favor of Deshler.

Both teams scored 4 points in the third quarter, and the Dragons led 26-16 at the end of three.

Both teams scored 11 points in the fourth quarter.

Outside of the last three quarters against Humphrey St. Francis and the first quarter against Deshler, the Tigers played respectable basketball. Certainly well enough to win anyways.

Tekamah-Herman (1-8) takes on Fort Calhoun (6-2) on the road Thursday night in a game that can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.

The Pioneers downed West Point-Beemer 57-43 at home Tuesday night.

It simply comes down to the Tigers being better on offense than they have been.

Tekamah-Herman has to score the ball better if they want to knock off Fort Calhoun.

The Pioneers appear to be really good this year, and I would say the Tigers have their work cut out for them.

Marin Jetensky, Jess Fleischmann, and others need to step up and turn in good performances for Tekamah-Herman.

The Tigers need something to happen that brings them all together and gets things turned around.

I don't know if that's a big win or something negative that turns into a positive, but this team desperately needs a spark.

Tekamah-Herman has to find the will within to pull out of this slump they're in, and play better basketball.

There's still a lot of season left, and so the Tigers can't quit now. Tekamah-Herman has to overcome and get through these tough times, and fight through the adversity.

There are some winnable games left on the schedule for the Tigers so Tekamah-Herman has to keep working hard and improving.

The Tigers have to pull through. Tekamah-Herman has to keep battling and fighting hard throughout the rest of the season.

It will be interesting to see what the Tigers can do against the Pioneers because from what I understand Fort Calhoun has a 6'2 girl.

Tekamah-Herman has to have a good game plan for defending her, and must make other players beat them.

The Tigers have to have their best effort Thursday night, and do what they can to turn the corner.

Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. on the Bull.