Holdrege, Neb. – The Holdrege Dusters took down Kearney Catholic on Tuesday night in front of a massive crowd at the Duster Dome. The girls opened up with a gritty 42-38 win before the boys won 57-48 in a back-and-forth contest.
The girls game started off rocky with plenty of mistakes on both sides as the Stars stumbled to a 7-5 first quarter lead. The Dusters cleaned things up offensively in the second quarter and took a 13-11 lead at halftime.
The impressive part was about to come as Holdrege emerged from the locker room. A 29-point second half effort guided the Dusters to a win that was credited to the entire team. Whether it was free throws down the stretch, tough play down low, or putting the extra work to chase loose balls, Holdrege would not be denied. Every player who participated did their part in ensuring a Duster win.
The Stars (7-5) had plenty of opportunities to take the lead thanks to their senior Callie Squiers. 16 of her 19 points came in the second half as she willed her team to the finish line. Despite her, and her teammates’, best effort, Kearney Catholic was unable to complete the comeback.
Holdrege was led offensively by junior Keeley Vaughn with 12 points followed by sophomore Emily Stutzman’s nine points. The total team effort was a welcome sight to head coach Derek Runcie as Holdrege (8-6) now turns their attention to Minden on Friday.
The Duster boys did their part to continue the exciting night with their win over the Stars. Much like the girls game, the boys took some time to get the offensive juices flowing. Neither team would score until nearly halfway through the first quarter as Holdrege finished the period with a 10-9 lead. However, Kearney Catholic didn’t shy away from the close competition and finished the first half with a 23-22 lead.
The score remained close in the third, but there was a different look to the Duster offense after halftime. Senior Coy Swanson was dialed in from the perimeter, hitting four shots from deep on his way to scoring 15 second-half points. He was unstoppable later in the game and showed opposing defenses that Holdrege had more than one weapon at their disposal.
The Dusters took a two-point lead into the fourth quarter and couldn’t pull away until the final two minutes. Timely shooting and fearless execution gave Holdrege the advantage. They outscored the Stars 13-6 in the fourth to take control.
Kearney Catholic (6-6) never flinched throughout the game. Any time the Dusters looked like they had taken the momentum, the Stars would bounce right back. Junior Oliver Sharp had a game-high 18 points, while senior Carson Murphy finished with 13.
Swanson led the Dusters with 17, and junior Garret Johnson added 14 points. Holdrege (8-6) will take their five-game winning streak to Minden on Friday. KUVR’s broadcast will begin at 5:45 pm ahead of the girls tipoff at 6:00.
