The girls basketball team at Nemaha Central Middle School played against Jeff West on Monday, November 22, 2021. This would be the second time these teams have matched up with each other. At the last matchup, the eighth-grade teams were defeated, but the seventh-grade teams were victorious. The Lady Thunder aimed to take home wins in all the games against Jeff West this time around.
The Lady Thunder eighth grade A-team didn’t score in the first quarter, but Jeff West only scored 2 points. The Thunder girls hit a few shots in the second quarter, but Jeff West was still leading by the end of the first half 6-4.
In the third quarter, the Thunder was determined to turn the tables but had no luck. The quarter ended with a Jeff West lead of 18-8. In the last quarter, the Thunder could not get a lead even though they closed the scoring gap and lost with a score of 20-15.
“We played hard and I think we’ve improved a lot,” said Kailey Mady.
Even though the Nemaha Central eighth-grade A-team lost, that didn’t stop the eighth-grade B-team from playing their best. Six of the seventh-grade A-team players had moved up and played in the eighth-grade B-team game. In the first quarter, NC took the lead with a score of 8-2. In the second quarter, the Thunder team increased their lead by doubling their score and the halftime score was 16-5.
Determined to win the game NC played even harder in the second half. Jeff West attempted to pull ahead, but the Lady Thunder kept their lead, ending the quarter with a score of 18-12. The Thunder kept up their level of play and was able to take home the win against Jeff West 24-18.
The Thunder’s seventh grade A-team had a slow start against Jeff West but managed to get the lead by the end of the quarter, 4-2. During the second quarter, the Thunder team tried hard to increase their lead and triumphed by ending the first half 11-2.
In the third quarter, both teams added to their score, but the Thunder were still in the lead 17-5. The game ended with a glorious win for NC destroying Jeff West with a score of 22-5.
“Even though it was a hard game we played our hardest,” Hailey Meyer said.
The seventh-grade B-team game was a tough matchup for the two teams. Both teams struggled in the first quarter and by the end of the quarter, the game was still scoreless. In the second quarter, the Thunder girls managed to score 6 points and Jeff West scored 3. At halftime, the Thunder team was leading 6-3.
The third quarter was another quarter where neither team could get a basket so the score remained 6-3. In the final quarter, the Thunder team was able to double their score and hold Jeff West to a basket. The Thunder came away with the victory 12-5.
The eighth-grade A-team was disappointed with their loss against Jeff West, but the B-team was able to pick up the win this time. The two seventh-grade teams were excited about their wins against their opponent. All four teams look forward to their next games.
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