The high school basketball season rolled along Tuesday night with some of the first games since midseason tournaments wrapped up and at the Roundhouse in Hiawatha it was Nemaha Central who came away with a pair of Big 7 League victories.

GIRLS

From start to finish the Nemaha Central girls showed exactly why they are the No. 1 ranked team in Class 3A Tuesday night as the Thunder blew by Hiawatha 62-16.

The Thunder, down two key players because of injury and sickness, wasted no time jumping out in front of the host Redhawks getting out to a 27-3 lead after one quarter forcing nine turnovers. Junior Alleigh Kramer got off to a hot start scoring 7 points in the first quarter while fellow junior Emma Elder and senior Ashley Larkin each added 6 points in the first.

In the second quarter Hiawatha was able to cut down on their turnovers finishing with just three in the quarter, but Nemaha Central still held the Redhawks to only five points in the frame to take a 36-8 lead into halftime.

The Thunder put the game out of reach with a 16-6 third quarter, pushing their lead to 52-14 heading into the fourth forcing a running clock the rest of the way.

Nemaha Central (13-1, 8-0 Big 7) forced 19 total turnovers by the Redhawks (4-9, 1-7) in the game and finished with three players in double figures.

Nemaha Central: Emma Elder – 14, Hannah Macke – 11, Kirsten Lortscher – 11, Alleigh Kramer – 9, Ashley Larkin – 8, Aydan Bass – 4, Ashley Hammes – 3, Cassidy Corby – 2.

Hiawatha: Sarah Madsen – 4, Clara Lindstrom – 3, Jaye Hrencher – 3, Kaysi Overdick – 3, Mary Rosa – 2, Brenna Diller – 1.

BOYS

Despite trailing in the second quarter, the Nemaha Central boys used a 9-0 run to jump out in front and never look back beating Hiawatha 65-44 after falling to the Redhawks on Dec. 11 51-47.

Early on it looked like it was going to be another replay of that Dec. 11 game as the teams traded blows before eventually being tied at 13 at the end of the first quarter.

The back-and-forth play continued into the second quarter with Hiawatha at one point taking a 20-18 lead, but from there Nemaha Central went on 9-0 run behind three Austin Gerety 3-pointers to jump out in front and lead 37-25 at the break.

Nemaha Central continued their run into the third quarter, as they put the game out of reach with a 15-11 third quarter behind 6 points from junior Andrew Leonard who finished with a game-high 22 points.

With the win the Thunder (10-4, 4-4 Big 7) have now won five straight games and will next host Royal Valley Friday, while the Redhawks (8-6, 4-4) travel to Perry Lecompton.

Nemaha Central: Andrew Leonard – 22, Matt Baumgartner – 12, Austin Gerety – 10, Dalton Schmelzle – 9, Dylan Schultejans – 4, Cole Kramer – 4, Bryce Uphaus – 4.

Hiawatha: Tyler Brockhoff – 17, Hunter Pavlish – 7, Sage Meyer – 6, Andrew Lierz – 4, Michael Moreno – 3, Justice Nez – 3, Kaiser Isaac – 3, Caden Lillie – 2.