FREMONT – It was another tough road loss for the Kearney Boys Basketball team as the Bearcats traveled to Fremont on Saturday afternoon, falling to the Tigers 71-56. Click here to listen to the broadcast replay.
Friday night was a heroic effort by the Bearcats to move to 12-8 on the season, pushing past the Lincoln North Star Navigators with a collective team effort and holding off any late North Star rallies. Kearney had previously faced Fremont earlier in the season back on Dec. 27, 2021, having downed the Tigers 77-36 in the opening round of the Heartland Athletic Conference Tournament.
It was a low-scoring effort in the first quarter by both squads, as the Bearcats and Tigers could not get into any rhythm offensively. Parker Wise and Jack Dahlgren got the scoring started for Kearney, as Wise’s free throws after the opening two minutes broke the scoreless tie. Fremont hit the big shots, knocking down two three pointers in the opening eight minutes. Both teams were locked at 9 starting the second quarter.
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Kearney edged past Fremont in the second, pacing the Tigers 14-12 in the preceding eight minutes. The Bearcats began launching their downtown shots and connecting as Dahlgren, Jack Mundorf, and freshman Ben Johnson each hit a triple. Wise added another lay-in, while Johnson connected on a three-point play to earn six points in the first quarter. The Bearcats gave up five points to Fremont’s Micah Moore while allowing Carter Sintek to hit a triple, but the Bearcats led entering halftime 23-21.
The wheels fell off for Kearney in the second half, unable to stop a 8-0 run to begin the third quarter as Fremont starting their confident shooting strokes hitting two three pointers and aggressively attacking the baskets. Jackson Cyza, held scoreless in the first half, scored 5 while Ashton Sagehorn added 7 points. Moore tallied up another five points, and Sintek added a signature three-pointer. While Fremont hit shots, Kearney piled up personal fouls while missing offensive opportunities. Ben Johnson and Mundorf each hit a three pointer but Kearney was outplayed 25-14 in the third quarter, now trailing 46-37 entering the fourth quarter.
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Fremont added another 25 points in the fourth quarter as Kearney ran out of gas and struggled to keep Fremont from the free throw line as the Tigers knocked down thirteen of seventeen charity stripe shots and hit an additional two three pointers from Sintek. Fremont closed out the rematch winning 71-56.
Kearney falls to 12-9 on the season and wraps up their regular season at home against a talented Millard North squad coming to Kearney High School. The Bearcats had contributions from Johnson finishing with 18 points, Mundorf had 15, Dahlgren had 14, and Wise ended with 9 points.
