On Tuesday in Seneca, the top four seeds all won their first round games by at least 14 points at the 1st Annual Thunder Classic Boys Tournament at Nemaha Central High School.  (click here for bracket)

#1 Falls City 56, # 8 Hiawatha 35
The Tigers got two deep treys from Weston Witt to start the game and showcased their depth with early foul trouble by building a 14-9 advantage after one quarter and stretching the margin to 13 beforehalftime.  The Tigers put the game away with an 11-0 run to start the fourth quarter and improved to 13-1 on the season. Witt scored 13 while Jordy Stoller paced Falls City with 14 points and Kyle Leafty added 10.  Hiawatha had 20 turnovers in falling to 1-8 on the season and was led in scoring by Ryker Smith with 8.  Joseph Kunkel added 7 points, all in the second quarter, including a buzzer-beating three pointer to pull Hiawatha within 33-24 at the break.  

# 4 Marysville 55, # 5 Horton 41
The senior duo of Zach Pieschl and Broderick Stohs combined for 13 ponits and hit a trio of three-pointers in the first quarter and Marysville jumped to a 15-8 lead.  Pieschl finished with 18 points at halftime but didn't score the rest of the game as the Bulldogs went cold from the outside in the second half.  Horton closed the gap to 38-34 entering the fourth quarter before Marysville went on a 9-0 run to put the game away.  Stohs finished with 15 points as Marysville improved to 5-6 on the season.  Horton's Alex Cowley battled through foul trouble to finish with 14 points and Jake Pahmahmie provided a huge spark off the bench with 11 of his 13 points in the first half.  Horton however committed 20 turnovers and fell to 3-6 on the year.  

#3 Jackson Heights 63, # 6 Silver Lake 48
It the game most beleived would be the best in the opening round, Jackson Heights dominated from start to finish after scoring 23 points in the first quarter and building a double-digit lead that would maintain throughout teh contest.  Zane Richter had 14 points in the first quarter for Jackson Heights who forced 8 early turnovers to take control.  Richter had 22 at half and finished with a season high 31 points as the Cobras improved to 8-1.  Wyatt Olberding added 11 points and Jackson Heights dominated the rebounds against a much taller Eagle team while dictating the upstyle tempo.  Silver Lake is now 4-5 on the season and Logan Wolfley was the only player in double digits with 12 points.    

# 2 Nemaha Central 71, # 7 St. Mary's 35
The final game was the only one that reached a running clock in the fourth quarter as Nemaha jumped to a 21-12 lead after one quarter and scored seven straight points to start the second before leading 39-18 at halftime.  Devin Henry came off the bench and scored 17 of his season high 19 points in the first half while Trent Schulte added 11 and Abe Elder scored 10.  The Thunder used their size and athleticism to dominate the paint on both ends of the floor while improving their record to 9-1 on the season.  St. Mary's fell to 1-8, but Mitchell Flanagan came off the bench as a freshman and hit 7 shots behind the arc to finish with a game-high 21 points.

Players To Bank On - Sponsored by the Citizens State Bank and Trust Company in Hiawatha

Weston Witt of Falls City
Zach Pieschl of Marysville
Zane Richter of Jackson Heights
Devin Henry of Nemaha Central 

Thursday Schedule
Horton vs. Hiawatha                                 3:30 PM
St. Mary's vs. Silver Lake                         5:00 PM
Falls City vs. Marysville                            6:30 PM  Semifinal on KTNC 1230 AM
Nemaha Central vs. Jackson Heights   8:00 PM  Semifinal on KNZA 103.9 FM