HOISINGTON BOYS 58, OTIS-BISON 46 – Defending Winter Jam champion Hoisington roared into Saturday’s championship game with a dominating 58-46 victory over Otis-Bison.
Cardinal standout Drew Nicholson 26 points to break his personal scoring record for the third consecutive game.
Mason Haxton preserved the Cardinals’ victory with 10 consecutive fourth-quarter points. Maitland Wiltse and Anton Foust scored back-to-back baskets to slice the Cardinals’ lead to 40-35. But Haxton hit back-to-back 3-pointers and added two baskets for a 47-35 margin.
Wiltse scored 23 points and Foust added 14 points, as the Cougars converted nine second-chance points.
“They gave us a lot of challenges,” said Hoisington coach Kyle Haxton. “They’re athletic. We battled them. We played with heart and effort. Defending Clade Anderson and keeping him off the boards was a key for us.”
OB 11 7 8 20 – 46
HHS 9 13 12 23 – 58
OTIS-BISON—Wiltse 10 1-3 23, Foust 6 0-2 14, Anderson 2 0-0 4, Bahr 1 0-0 3, Seth Hoopingarner 1 0-0 2, Higgason 0 0-2 0, Totals 20 1-7 46.
HOISINGTON—Nicholson 8 7-7 26, Haxton 4 0-0 10, Donovan 3 0-0 7, Barrett 2 1-4 5, Robinson 2 1-2 5, Prosser 1 1-2 4, Woydziak 0 1-2 1, Totals 20 11-17 58.
PRATT BOYS 52, ELLSWORTH 50 – Pratt’s Travis Theis scored seven points as the Greenbacks outscored Ellsworth 27-14 in the second half for a 52-50 semifinal victory in the Cardinal Winter Jam. Pratt (4-7) plays defending champion Hoisington (4-6) in Saturday’s championship game.
Ellsworth’s Remington Cravens scored 14 points, 12 in the first-quarter as the Bearcats featured four players in double figures.
Pratt 15 10 16 11 – 52
Ellsworth 23 13 4 10 – 50
PRATT—Theis 4 7-8 17, Studer 4 2-3 11, Evert 3 1-2 9, Bolen 3 1-2 7, Bates 2 0-0 4, Kolm 2 0-0 4, Winsor 0 0-2 0, Totals 18 11-17 52.
ELLSWORTH—Cravens 4 2-2 14, Gwinner 4 3-4 12, Anderson 3 2-2 11, Base 4 2-2 10, Fitzgerald 1 0-0 3, Totals 16 9-10 50.
OTIS-BISON GIRLS 29, LACROSSE 23 – Otis-Bison’s Maddie Wiltse scored 16 points and the Cougars’ defense did the rest for a 29-23 semifinal victory over LaCrosse. The Oilers (9-2) play Russell (10-2) in Saturday’s championship game in a rematch of last year.
Wiltse broke a 21-21 tie with six fourth-quarter points and Cora Anderson scored a fourth-quarter basket. The Cougars held LaCrosse to zero field goals in the final period. Kate Rues led LaCrosse with eight points.
LaCrosse 6 9 6 2 – 23
Otis-Bison 6 11 4 8 – 29
LACROSSE—Kate Rues 3 2-3 8, Braun 1 3-5 5, Oborny 1 2-4 4, L. Anderson 2, Kerschner 1 0-0 2, Emma Rues 1 0-0 2, Totals 8 7-15 23.
OTIS-BISON—Wiltse 7 2-2 16, Schneider 4 0-0 8, Trapp 1 0-5 2, Anderson 1 0-0 2, Ewy 0 1-2 1, Totals 12 3-9 29.
RUSSELL GIRLS 46, ELLSWORTH 40 – Russell’s Tiffany Dortland scored 16 points and Leiker added 12 points as the defending champion Broncos outlasted Ellsworth 46-40 in Friday’s Cardinal Jam semifinals.
Ellsworth 8 9 17 6 – 40
Russell 18 12 4 12 – 46
ELLSWORTH—Davis 5 1-2 11, Haase 4 1-2 10, Jaide Talbott 3 1-2 8, Paige Talbott 1 2-2 5, Tenbrink 2 0-0 4, Brungardt 1 0-0 2, Totals 16 5-8 40.
RUSSELL—Dortland 5 3-4 16, Leiker 4 2-4 12, Jaclyn Schulte 4 1-2 9, Myers 1 2-2 4, Janae Schulte 1 0-0 3, Peeler 1 0-0 2, Totals 16 8-12 46.
