CLARKSON – North Bend Central and Clarkson/Leigh met in two hyped up East Husker Conference matchups in Clarkson Thursday night in action aired on 107.9 the Bull as the Tigers got out to a big lead in the girls game and never looked back in a 47-24 win while the Patriots won a back and forth affair in the Boys Game, 53-51.
In the Girls Game, North Bend Central jumped out to a 17-4 lead at the end of the 1st quarter and led 21-4 at one point in the 2nd quarter before taking a 26-7 lead into the locker room.
The Tigers won the 3rd quarter 9-8 to increase their lead to 35-15 at the end of three.
North Bend Central won the 4th quarter 12-9.
Kaitlyn Emanuel paced the Tigers with 20 points while Josie Cleveringa was also in double figures with 12.
Chloe Hanel had a team-high 13 points to lead the Patriots.
Clarkson/Leigh, who saw their 7-game winning streak come to a halt, falls to 8-3 on the season while North Bend Central, who has won 9 straight, is now 9-1 on the season.
The Tigers host West Point-Beemer Friday night while the Patriots travel to Tekamah-Herman on Saturday.
The boys game was a barn burner that lived up to its billing as Kyle Kasik hit a running jumper from the middle of the paint with 4.5 seconds left to propel Clarkson/Leigh to the win.
The shot came on the heels of a Kyler Hellbusch 3-pointer that tied the game at 51 for North Bend Central.
The game, which featured 12 lead changes and 9 ties, was a back and forth affair the entire way.
The Tigers jumped out to an 8-0 1st quarter lead before the Patriots tied things up at 8. The game was also tied at 10 in the 1st quarter before North Bend Central led 17-14 at the end of the 1st quarter.
Clarkson/Leigh battled back in the 2nd quarter, winning the frame 13-8 to take a 27-25 lead into the locker room.
The Tigers roared back in the 3rd quarter, winning the frame 17-11 to go up 42-38 at the end of the 3rd quarter.
But it was the Patriots who had the final answer as they won the 4th quarter 15-9.
Kasik paced Clarkson/Leigh with 19 points while Mason Whitmore added 14. Trey Steffensmeier chipped in 9.
North Bend Central’s Kyler Hellbusch led all scorers with 34 points while Zac Pospisil totaled 7.
The Patriots improve to 7-3 on the year and travel to Tekamah-Herman on Saturday while the Tigers fall to 3-6 on the season and host West Point-Beemer Friday night.
