Just two weeks remain before sub-state tournaments kick off for area teams and Tuesday night the season continued with Nemaha Central hosting Jeff West for a pair of Big 7 League games and it was a split with the Thunder girls winning 49-29 while the Tiger boys won 48-40.

GIRLS

The girl’s game was sluggish offensively at times but the Thunder girls remained perfect on the year with a 49-29 win and wrapped up at least a share of the Big 7 League regular season title holding a two-game lead with two games to play.

Jeff West came out of the gates and played well early leading 5-2 in the beginning minutes of the game but Nemaha Central responded by forcing four turnovers and got six points from Emma Elder to lead 12-5 after one.

The Thunder ramped up their defense even more in the second quarter forcing six more Tigers’ turnovers to up the lead to 14 at halftime with senior Alleigh Kramer notching 10 points through the first two quarters.

Kramer then put the game away with eight more points in the third as the Thunder lead ballooned to 18 points heading into the fourth quarter.

The Thunder defense was great all night long forcing Jeff West into 18 total turnovers on the night which held the Tigers to 15 points below their season average.

Kramer finished with a game-high 20 points to lead Nemaha Central (18-0, 12-0 Big 7) while Emma Elder got the Thunder off to a fast start and finished with 14.

Jeff West (10-8, 7-5) was led in the loss by Heather Kahler who played well all night and finished with 12 points.

Nemaha Central can wrap up an outright Big 7 title with just one win in one of their final two games as the Thunder will head to Holton on Friday before wrapping up with a home game against Sabetha on Tuesday.

Nemaha Central: Alleigh Kramer – 20, Emma Elder – 14, Kirsten Lortscher – 7, Hannah Macke – 3, Taryn Ganstrom – 3, Cassidy Corby – 2.

Jeff West: Heather Kahler – 12, Kristin Biltoft – 7, Kiley Biltoft – 5, Mellany Roenne – 3, Meg Tibbits – 2.

BOYS

The boy’s game wasn’t quite as close as the score indicated as Jeff West was in control from the start and led by double digits for most of the second half before going on to win 48-40.

The Tigers raced out to a 15-9 lead after one forcing four Nemaha Central turnovers and receiving two 3-pointers including one each from Brayden Cruz and Garrett Athon.

Jeff West pushed their lead to 25-18 at the half with Athon and Bryce Clements combing for 13 points in the first half.

The Tigers took complete control in the third holding the Thunder to just two points in the quarter to build a 13-point lead going into the fourth.

Nemaha Central tried to make it a game with a couple of late 3-pointers by Zac Kramer and Carter Lutz and got the deficit down to six before Jeff West hit 7-of-10 free throws in the fourth including a 4 for 4 effort from Joe Anderson.

Jeff West (11-7, 7-5 Big 7) finished the game 11-of-16 from the line in the game and were led in scoring by Bryce Clements who finished with nine points.

Nemaha Central (12-6, 7-5) struggled against the length of the Tigers 3-2-zone all night long and were led in scoring by Eric Hammes who was 6-of-8 from the stripe.

Next up for the Tigers is a road game at Hiawatha on Friday while the Thunder head to Holton with live coverage on the Holton Channel.