GIRLS = Holton 43, Jeff West 39 in Overtime

Holton avenged a two-point loss earlier in the season and pulled even with Jeff West and Nemaha Central a top the Big 7 League standings with a hard fought overtime victory on Friday night.  The Lady Cats started the game on a 10-0 run, but trailed by one point at the end of the second and third quarters.  

Holton took a 32-30 lead on a trey Sarah Lierz with 3:30 to play in the game, but the Tigers responded to go ahead 37-34 and then missed a front-end one-and-one free throw with 1:13 remaining.  Holton got the benefit of an alternate possession arrow that wasn't theirs in the final 40 seconds and ultimately forced overtime as Lauryn Moore scored seven of her 10 points in the fourth quarter including three late free throws, the last two that tied the game with 18 second left.  Both teams had a shot in the final ticks of regulation but came up short and Holton won the overtime 6-2 as Shay Tanking fought off a tough shooting night to make four free throws in the final 20 seconds to seal the win.  

The Tigers battled foul trouble and Mariah Murdie fouled out after giving Jeff West a 34-32 lead in the fourth quarter.  However, it was 25 turnovers that dropped the Lady Tigers to 11-4 overall and 9-2 in the Big 7 League.  Aaliyah Negonsott had 11 points and Faith Becker added 9.    

Holton got 14 points each from Shay Tanking and Courtney Boswell while Moore tied her season high of 10 points and hit five fourth period free throws to earn "Played to Bank On" honors from the Citizens State Bank and Trust Company in Hiawatha.  Holton made 17 of 27 at the line while Jeff West was just 8 of 16.  The Wildcats improved to 14-3 overall and 11-2 in the Big 7 with their fourth straight victory and 12th win in their last 14 games.  

BOYS = Holton 38, Jeff West 32

Another low scoring and offensive struggle night for both boys teams as Holton led through the majority of the contest.  Leading 14-12 at halftime, the lead exchanged hands a few times on treys by Nick Malloy for Jeff West and Zane Moylan of Holton in the third quarter.  Moylan, a sophomore who earned the start because of two injured Wildcats, also hit a three in the fourth quarter to put Holton ahead 34-24 with just over three minutes to play.  That was the only field goal the Cats made in the final frame, but they made 8 of their 11 foul shots in the last stanza to hold on for the win.  

Moylan finished with a season high 14 points to earn Citizens State Bank and Trust Company of Hiawatha "Player to Bank On" honors and also connected on three of four at the stripe down the stretch.  Bryson Patch added 10 as Holton improved to 11-2 in League play and 12-5 overall.  Malloy had 16 for the Tigers but fouled out early in the fourth quarter as Jeff West fell to 7-9 overall and 6-6 in the Big 7.  The two teams had split their first two meetings in a pair of overtime games and, like the girls, could potentialy meet again in Sub State.