LINCOLN – The Pius girls followed the lead of their star player to keep Kearney at arms length all evening Friday night as the Thunderbolts won the rematch with the Bearcats 41-35. Click here to listen to the broadcast replay.
Kearney entered the contest at 9-4 on the year looking to start their tough weekend challenge off by exacting revenge of the Thunderbolts who had bested them in the Heartland Athletic Conference Tournament Quarterfinals. Lincoln Pius X was 10-3 and angling towards continuing their winning ways with another performance at home.
The contest started with a bang as Pius’ Lily Hodge nailed a three pointer to start the contest and had Pius in the lead early. Followed by scores by Makenna Lesiak and Madelyn Navrkal, Kearney began to work their way back into the contest. Kierstynn Garner started the scoring with a triple of her own, along with a free throw added by Haidyn Skeen and Tatum Rusher clearing a lay-in. Hodge would not be finished however, nailing another three pointer. Garner ended the quarter with another triple, and in the back-and-forth affair Kearney trailed 14-9 entering the second quarter.
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Kearney’s second quarter gave them the first lead of the night with 2:23 remaining in the second quarter. The Bearcats needed some assistance, as fouls and turnovers from Pius resulted in extra scores for Kearney. Tatum Rusher knocked down her first two free throws then added a triple later in the quarter, as did Harley Straka. Kierstynn Garner completed a three-point play, and Kaleigh Hatcher got in on the scoring with three points in the quarter as well. But Pius’ Addison Markowski was electric in the tail-end of the half, running the lane twice in the final possessions to bring the game to a 1 point lead for Kearney, then stealing the lead at the buzzer as Lincoln Pius led 24-23 entering the second half.
The second half slowed to a crawl offensively for both sides, with Pius scoring 17 and Kearney gaining 12 in the half alone. Markowski drilled a three-pointer while getting help from Sara Iburg who added four points. The Bearcats were limited to only four total points, as Rusher and Hatcher each added 2.
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The fourth quarter was a slugfest as Kearney fought to get back in the contest, but Pius never ceded more than a two possession lead and won 41-35; the same six point deficit Kearney fell to in the first matchup.
The Bearcats fall to 9-5 on the season and face off against Lincoln Southwest on Saturday afternoon. KGFW pregame coverage begins at 3:45 PM from Kearney High School. Kearney had contributions from Rusher and Kierstynn Garner with 9 points each, Hatcher finished with 7, Maddy Province had 4 in her return, Straka had 3, Kennidy Garner ended with 2, and Skeen contributed 1 point.
