In the first weekend games for Kearney High Basketball in the new calendar year, the Bearcats were able to take a 3-0 sweep on the week, with wins against Lincoln High on Friday, and the Girls picking up a 60-45 win against Omaha Buena Vista on Saturday, giving coach Drew Danielson his 100th win.
After the weekend, the Bearcat Girls are 9-1, while the Bearcat Boys are 8-2.
Kearney takes advantage of Lincoln’s slow start, wins 45-35
The Bearcats were able to jump out on an early 13-5 lead after the first quarter, with Kelsey Hatcher scoring 7 points to put the Bearcats up early. Kori Hoffart would add a three point bucket as time expired in the quarter.
Kearney was able to extend their lead out to nine points going into the halftime break with a balanced scoring attack (Libby Province 5, Hatcher / Addie Snyder / Augusta Ganz 2) and did the same in the third quarter, with Snyder, Ganz and Province all sinking a bucket, while Hatcher would connect on four free throws.
Both teams scored 11 points in the final frame, with Hatcher and Province both scoring 4 points in the quarter.
Kearney…13…11…10…11…45
Lincoln…..5…10….9…11…35
Kearney scoring: Hatcher 17, Province 14, Ganz 6, Snyder 4, Hoffart 3, Jasnoch 1
Lincoln scoring: Ayana Owens 12, Gigi Owens 8, Hicks-Robinson 7, Collins 4, Wilson 3, Ness 1
Middle quarters give Kearney boys needed separation in win over Links, 78-71
After being tied up after one quarter 17-17, Kearney would get some needed separation in the second quarter against a Lincoln High team that would live and die on the three point line. Lincoln High would score 16 points on 6 shots, while Kearney would score their 24 second quarter points in 15 shots, making 8 free throws in the process.
The Bearcats would find their way to getting their three point attack going, as Keeghan Hunt and Leyton Paider (2) would both find triples, while Turner Bertrand would find his lone bucket of the night while holding the Links big man down low, Jairik Gilmore, to only 10 points.
Jacob Webber drives down the court against Lincoln High Friday. He scored 22 points in the win over the Links (Mitchell Brandt, Central Nebraska Today.com)
Kearney’s lead would balloon to as many as 16 points, aided by a technical foul being assesed on Lincoln’s Deveraux Sanders. Ben Johnson, who was initially fouled by Sanders on a layup, went 3-4 at the charity stripe. The Links, led by Sanders after the tech, would cut their deficit back to single digits before he fouled out in the final minute.
Kearney…17…24…20…17…78
Lincoln…17….16….19…19….71
Kearney scoring: Johnson 26, Webber 24, Hunt 9, Kracl 8, Paider 7, Norman 2, Bertrand 2
Lincoln scoring: Sanders 17, Nick 16, Nguyen 11, Gilmore 10, Salsman 7, Cruse 6, Osuji 2, Jock 2
Danielson wins #100 in Saturday showdown against Buena Vista, 60-45
In a one-off game scheduled to replace the cancelled Grand Island girls game, Kearney would find themselves down 14-10 after the opening frame at Buena Vista High School. The Bison held Kearney’s main scorers Hatcher and Province to a combined five points in the opening frame.
When the Bearcats needed a spark, they turned to Ganz, who scored six points in the second frame. The Bearcat defense would force multiple turnovers and held the Bison to 8 points. Kearney would lead at halftime 27-22.
Kearney’s lead continued to grow, as Hatcher would find her groove and score 9 points in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Bearcat lead would be as many as 20 points, with Snyder scoring 7 points in the final minutes.
Kearney……..10…17…17…16…60
Buena Vista…14…8…12…11…45
Kearney scoring: Hatcher 19, Province 13, Snyder 13, Ganz 7, Jasnoch 4, Webber 2, Glandt 2
Buena Vista scoring: Lul 13, Kilgore 10, Evans 6, Lyric 6, Townsend 4, Baxter 3, Roby 3
Coach Drew Danielson and the Kearney Girls Basketball team after his 100th career win. (Courtesy photo Elisa Backes)
Drew Danielson Coaching History:
Cozad HS Boys(4 seasons) 56-42
Hastings HS Boys(4 seasons) 35-34
Kearney HS Girls(1 season) 9-1
Overall record: 100-77
