92.1 KMZA Broadcast - Nemaha Central at Sabetha (girls) - click here to listen 
92.1 KMZA Broadcast - Nemaha Central at Sabetha (boys) - click here to listen 

Rivalries tend to be highly competitive and last night in Sabetha one half of the basketball double header was a tight contest and the other a one-side affair after a strong start to the game, both in the end leading to Nemaha Central road wins over Sabetha. The lady Thunder claimed a 49-26 using a strong start and the Nemaha boys trailed most of the game but took the win away from Sabetha in overtime 41-40. 

Nemaha Central girls took a firm hold on the last night to start the night as the Bluejays struggled from the floor and the Thunder sounded off to the tune of a 15-0 first quarter. The scoreless drought carried into the second quarter for Sabetha and ultimately the Bluejays trailed 26-8 at intermission able to hit just two field goals and four three throws in the first half. The early lead established by Nemaha Central proved to be too much for Sabetha as the Bluejays started to hit some shots in the second half but could not overcome the early hole and the cemented the win in their favor 49-26. 

The win for Nemaha Central not only keeps them unbeaten on the year moving to 4-0 overall and in Big Seven action, but also marks Coach Hadden Hiltgen's 100th career win and snapped a four-game Sabetha winning streak in the series. The win also is the first for Nemaha at Sabetha since the 2011-12 season. Laura Macke paced the Thunder on the night with 14 points and earned Community National Bank "Player to Bank" honors on KMZA, while Kaley Dalinghaus chipped in 11 points with six in the fourth quarter. Both Ashley Larkin and Maggie Hammes netted eight points on the night for the Thunder. 

Sabetha in the loss was led by Lauren Huber who scored eight points as the Bluejays suffered their first loss of the year falling to 4-1 overall and 3-1 in Big Seven action. 

The last six meetings between Sabetha and Nemaha in boys basketball entering Tuesday night had been decided by single digits with the Bluejays winning all six but on Tuesday night in Sabetha while the margin was single digits it was Nemaha Central getting the win. 

The Thunder trailed most of the game as Sabetha got off to a great start behind the play of Eric Renyer who was a monster inside early but it was only a 9-7 Bluejay lead after the first quarter and while Renyer posted 13 of his 16 points in the first half Sabetha held just a 20-16 lead going into halftime as Nemaha Central despite struggling stayed in the contest. Sabetha maintained the lead throughout the third and into the fourth until the Thunder took their first lead at 35-33 with 3:39 left in regulation. Sabetha tied the game shortly after and it remained that way down the stretch with the Thunder getting set up for a game winning opportunity as the clock dwindled down. Cole Kramer hoisted up a three in the final seconds of the game but misfired and Nate Beck collected the rebound but his put back opportunity came up a bit short too and the game went to overtime. Nemaha Central took the overtime period 6-5 and took the win from Sabetha too winning 41-40, to give Nemaha their first win at Sabetha since 2012-13 and first regular season win against the Bluejays since the same year. 

Nemaha Central with the win bounces back from their first loss of the season to move to 3-1 overall and in Big Seven League play. The duo of Mitchell Henry and Dylan Enneking led the Thunder on the night with 10 points each, while the bench played a key role for the Thunder with energy in the second half. Nate Beck chipped in six points all big buckets down the stretch in the fourth quarter and overtime and earned Community National Bank "Player to Bank" honors on KMZA. 

Sabetha with the loss falls to 2-3 on the season and 2-2 in Big Seven play. Renyer led the Bluejays with 16 points on the night, while Kyle Grimm added eight points. 

Nemaha Central continues their season on Friday, December 16th as they head home for the first time since the season opener and will host Royal Valley, while Sabetha will be in action again next Tuesday, December 20th at home against Jeff West.