The Sabetha boys basketball team picked up a hard-fought road victory Tuesday night, knocking off rival Nemaha Central 44-39 in a physical league matchup.

Nemaha Central came out strong on its home floor, jumping out to a 14-8 lead after the first quarter. The Thunder used early energy and defensive pressure to set the tone, but Sabetha responded in a big way during the second quarter.

The Bluejays turned the momentum with their best stretch of the night on both ends of the floor, outscoring Nemaha Central 17-4 in the second period to take a 25-18 lead into halftime. Sabetha’s defensive intensity limited the Thunder’s scoring opportunities, while the offense found a steady rhythm.

Sabetha continued to build on its lead early in the second half, pushing the advantage to double digits. However, Nemaha Central refused to go away quietly. The Thunder chipped away at the deficit and cut the lead to 32-28 heading into the fourth quarter.

Early in the final period, Nemaha Central pulled within one at 32-31, putting pressure on the Bluejays. Sabetha answered with a key 7-0 run to regain control and would not relinquish the lead the rest of the way. Down the stretch, Nemaha Central had several opportunities to close the gap, but missed shots combined with three late free throws from Jack Frazee helped Sabetha seal the league win.

Micah Lang led Sabetha with 14 points and five rebounds, while Cole Menold added 11 points and six rebounds. The Bluejays also received a strong spark off the bench from Kyson Wertenberger, who finished with eight points and six rebounds.

For Nemaha Central, Kalem Schmelzle and Carter Hajek each scored 10 points to lead the Thunder. Caleb Strathman and Layton Thomas chipped in five points apiece.

With the win, Sabetha improved to 4-4 overall and 2-1 in league play, while Nemaha Central fell to 4-5 and 0-2 in league action.