KEARNEY – The chip on the shoulder showed to be a boulder – at least in game one of the Heartland Athletic Conference Tournament – as #6 Kearney blew past #11 Fremont for a dominating 87-51 win at Kearney High School. Click here to listen to the broadcast replay.
Despite owning a 6-1 record including a win over the #3 seed in the HAC Tournament – Lincoln High – Kearney accepted their #6 seed entering the first contest of their holiday tournament facing #11 Fremont. The Tigers were 1-6 entering the afternoon tilt, having dropped three in a row after a trip to South Carolina during the Nebraska deep freeze a week ago.
KHS BBB
The Bearcats wasted no time getting ahead, as Kearney worked quickly to employ a 9-3 lead in the opening four minutes of action. Ben Johnson knocked down his opening three pointer while Asher Endor, Jack Dahlgren, and Karter Lee each added scores as well. Despite the offensive onslaught, Fremont did not back down early as their range showed early knocking down three triples from three different players in the opening quarter. Kearney withstood the early test and held a 19-13 advantage into the second quarter.
KHS BBB
After taking the first eight minutes from Fremont, it was all Bearcats in the next three quarters. Kearney exploded for 22 points in the second, following Dahlgren’s nine points in the eight minutes. Endorf added nine of his own as well, while Johnson included four more points. Four more three pointers dropped for Fremont, but the Tigers had to continue to play from behind and were forced into mistakes as Kearney took a 41-27 lead into halftime.
KHS BBB
The Bearcats racked up 21 points in the third quarter while holding Fremont to only 9, cushioning their lead with Treyven Beckman three pointers and more lay-ins from Endorf. The Bearcats led 62-36 with the game well in hand entering the fourth.
KHS BBB
Kearney tallied another 25 in the fourth quarter and saw reserves see most of the action in the final stanza as the Bearcats earned their seventh win on the season 87-51.
#6 Kearney travels to Lincoln Thursday to face Lincoln High for a rematch from December 9. Pregame on KGFW begins at 3:30 PM with tip-off set for 3:45 PM.
Kearney had contributions from Endorf with 17 points, Dahlgren had 15, Lee ended with 10, Johnson and Beckman had 9, Colt Straka and Jake Kracl had 8 each, Ian Piper had 5, while Jacob Hansen, Turner Bertrand, and Justin Murray all had 2.
