Carter Hajek surveying the floor.

On Thursday, January 27, the Nemaha Central Middle School boys basketball team hosted Sabetha. All four teams were looking to add another win to their record.

In the eighth grade A-team game, Sabetha came out on fire, scoring 10 points in the first 3 minutes while holding the Thunder to only 2. However, by the end of the first quarter, the Thunder were able to rebound and the score was 9-10 with the Thunder team trailing by one. In the second quarter, the Thunder came alive, scoring 14 points, while only allowing the Bluejays 1 point.  The halftime score was 23-11 with the Thunder taking over the lead.

Coming out of the locker room, the Thunder extended their lead by 3, scoring 9 points while holding the Bluejays to 6. The Thunder was pulling away with a score of 32-17. The fourth quarter was more of the same, NC tacked on another 8 points and only allowed 5 for Sabetha. The Thunder came out on top with a score of 40-22, adding another win to their undefeated season. 

In the eighth-grade B-team game, both teams scored 4 points in the first quarter. The second quarter was also very competitive, the Thunder allowed the Bluejays 2 points and was able to score 6 points of their own, making the halftime score 10-6. 

After halftime, NC supplemented their lead, scoring 6 points while holding Sabetha to just 2. At the end of the third quarter, the Thunder team was up 16-8. The Thunder maintained their lead in the fourth quarter, taking a 24-16 victory.

Cameron Strathman said, “It was great to beat our cross-county rivals.”

In the seventh grade A-game, the Thunder got out to a quick 1 point lead in the first quarter, scoring 8 points and allowing Sabetha 7. NC extended their lead by 5 in the second quarter, scoring 11 points while holding the Bluejays to 6. The halftime score was 19-13.

The Thunder stretched their lead to 10 in the third quarter, scoring another 11 points and only allowing the Bluejays to score 7. The score at the end of three quarters was 30-20. In the fourth quarter, the Thunder, yet again, extended their lead, managing to score 14 while holding Sabetha to 11. The Thunder walked away with a  44-31 win, keeping their undefeated season alive.

In the seventh-grade B-team game, the Thunder got out to a quick 4 point lead, scoring 8 while holding the Bluejays to 4. NC extended their lead by 7 in the second quarter, making the score 17-6.

The third quarter was slow, both teams combined could only manage 2 points. After being shut out in the third quarter, the Thunder were able to secure a victory by putting another 6 points on the board and only allowing the Bluejays to score 8 of their own. The final score was 23-16 with another Thunder win. 

Colton Blume said, “We worked hard and played pretty well.”

All in all, it was a great night for the Thunder. Both A-teams and the seventh-grade B-team were able to defend their perfect season, while the eighth-grade B-team added another win to their record.

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