The Nemaha Central boys basketball team built a sizeable early lead, then withstood a furious second-half rally from Perry-Lecompton to escape with a hard-fought 47-45 Big East League road victory on Friday night.

The Thunder came out sharp on the offensive end, setting the tone early by jumping out to a 19-11 lead at the end of the first quarter. Nemaha Central continued to control the pace in the second quarter, stretching the advantage to as many as 16 points on multiple occasions. Strong ball movement and timely shooting allowed the Thunder to maintain separation, and they headed into the halftime break holding a 33-20 lead.

Momentum shifted after halftime as Perry-Lecompton came out with renewed energy and intensity. The Kaws cranked up the defensive pressure and began finding success in transition and on the offensive glass. Perry-Lecompton outscored Nemaha Central 16-6 in the third quarter, trimming what had been a comfortable Thunder lead to just 39-36 entering the final period.

The fourth quarter turned into a tense, back-and-forth battle. On several occasions, the Kaws pulled within two points, but Nemaha Central responded each time with key stops or timely baskets to maintain a slim edge. Despite being outscored in the second half, the Thunder managed the clock and protected the basketball just well enough to keep Perry-Lecompton from fully erasing the deficit.

Down the stretch, Perry-Lecompton came up with a few crucial buckets and defensive stops to give themselves one final chance. With six seconds remaining and trailing 47-45, the Kaws inbounded the ball on their end of the floor. The possession ended with the ball in the hands of leading scorer Houston Habiger, who launched a contested long two-point attempt from the right corner. The shot narrowly missed as time expired, sealing the win for Nemaha Central.

Carter Hajek led the Thunder in scoring with 13 points, while Kalem Schmelzle added 10 points in a balanced offensive effort. Habiger paced Perry-Lecompton with 15 points, while Easton Graves chipped in nine points and Thomas Marcellino provided a spark off the bench with eight points and six rebounds.

The victory snapped a four-game losing streak for Nemaha Central, improving the Thunder to 5-5 overall and 1-2 in Big East League play. Perry-Lecompton, ranked No. 9 in Class 3A, saw its record fall to 8-3 overall and 2-3 in league action after the narrow home loss.