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

Big Seven League action took place on Tuesday night with Nemaha Central playing host to Hiawatha and it was a tale of two different games and outcomes. The Red Hawk girls used a strong start to the game to hold off Nemaha Central's comeback attempt and win 40-36, while the Thunder boys cruised to the 68-38 win. 

The lady Red Hawks started the night flying high as they worked to a 6-0 start over the first five minutes of the game and the Thunder didn't score their first points of the night until under three minutes to go in the first and ultimately trailed 11-2 to Hiawatha after one quarter. Hiawatha continued to roll and Nemaha Central struggled in the second as Courtney Brockhoff shoulder the scoring for the Red Hawks early with 14 first half points helping her team lead 22-6 at intermission after posting an 11-4 second quarter. The lead grew for Hiawatha in the third to 28-8 but Nemaha Central went on a 7-0 run to cut into the deficit only to see the Red Hawks answer as the fourth and behind a Maggie Hammes three-pointer, then a steal and bucket the Thunder closed the gap to four at 36-32 with 3:06 remaining. The lead would dwindle down to two-points at 36-34 with 2:15 remaining but the Red Hawks clung to the lead and up three late Cariann Kunkel made a free throw with one second left and Hiawatha held off the Thunder for the 40-36, despite Nemaha Central outscoring them 19-6 in the fourth. 

Brockhoff speared headed the Red Hawks performance on the night with a season high 22 points and got things rolling with 14 of the teams 22 in the first half earning her Community National Bank "Player to Bank On" on KMZA. The win moves Hiawatha to 11-6 on the season and 8-5 in the Big Seven, while giving them their fifth win in the last six games. 

The loss moves Nemaha Central girls out of a tie for first in the Big Seven with Holton and Jeff West as they are now 11-3 in League play and 15-3 overall on the season. Kaley Dalinghaus led the Thunder with 13 points on the night, while Laura Macke added nine points. 

Offensive efficiency was on display in the boys game as both team spread their scoring out but for Nemaha Central it was balanced scoring and in many ways that lead to a big lead and the win over Hiawatha. After one the Thunder had rolled out to a 19-11 lead with Corey Heiman scoring eight points in the first; the lead went up to 37-21 by intermission as Nate Beck had eight points in the second quarter. Nemaha Central continued to roll in the second half with an 18-5 third quarter and cruised to the 68-38 win over Hiawatha with 10 different scorers on the night. 

Beck lead a quartet of double figure scorers for Nemaha Central posting 12 points, while Heiman along with Dylan Enneking and Mitchell Henry all three chipped in 10 points. For Heiman it marked his first double figure game of the year and earned him Co-"Player to Bank On" honors courtesy of Community National Bank on KMZA, along with Beck who had a team high 12. The win pushed the Thunder to 15-3 on the season and 13-1 in the Big Seven, while pushing their current win streak to six. 

Hiawatha with the loss fell to 7-10 on the year, while moving to 6-7 in the Big Seven. Hunter Pavlish led the Red Hawks in the loss with nine points. 

Both teams continue the season on Friday, February 17th with another Big Seven League showdown as Hiawatha hosts Sabetha and Nemaha Central travels to Riverside.