The Nemaha Central girls basketball team made a statement on Tuesday night, delivering a dominant performance in front of the home crowd with a convincing 48-20 victory over rival Sabetha.

The Thunder wasted no time setting the tone, jumping out to a 14-0 lead by the end of the first quarter behind suffocating defense and efficient scoring. Nemaha Central continued to apply pressure in the second quarter, holding Sabetha scoreless until midway through the period and stretching the advantage to 34-4 by halftime.

Despite the lopsided score, the Bluejays showed resilience after the break, tightening things up defensively and finding more offensive rhythm in the second half. However, Nemaha Central remained firmly in control throughout the night, never allowing Sabetha to gain momentum as the Thunder cruised to the rivalry win.

Sophomore Kennedy McKee delivered a breakout performance for Nemaha Central, leading all scorers with 18 points. McKee was especially impressive in the first half, scoring 16 of her points as the Thunder built their commanding lead. Emma Hermesch and Bailey Snyder provided additional scoring support, each finishing with nine points.

For Sabetha, Sidney Schubarth led the way with seven points, while Paxton Michael added three. Alivia Lang, Chloe Detweiler, Macey Drahota, and Sophia Haverkamp each contributed two points in the effort.

With the win, Nemaha Central improved to 6-3 overall and 2-0 in league play, continuing a strong start to the season. Sabetha fell to 1-7 overall and 0-3 in league action as the Bluejays look to regroup heading into their next contest.