Sabetha Channel Broadcast – Sabetha vs. Holton (1-9-18) – Click here to listen.

Behind a strong third quarter and a 24 point performance from senior guard Shay Tanking, the Holton Lady Wildcats kept pace at the top of the Big 7 League Tuesday with a 42-31 win on the road at Sabetha.

Tanking started hot out of the gates notching 7 first quarter points, as Holton took an 11-8 lead after the first frame.

The Lady Wildcats defense took over in the second quarter, holding Sabetha to just 6 points while Tanking added 8 more points in the second stanza to allow Holton to take a 27-14 lead into halftime.

Holton extended their lead to as many as 16 in the third quarter, but in the fourth Sabetha finally made things interesting as junior Jessica Payne got going.

Payne, who picked up three quick fouls in the first quarter, got the Lady Jays back in it along with fellow junior Hillary Krebs as the two traded baskets to pull Sabetha back within 6 with five minutes remaining.

Tanking, though, had the answer as the senior finished with 5 points in the final frame nailing three straight free throws to close out the game.

The win kept Holton (8-1, 7-1 Big 7) right behind Nemaha Central in the Big 7 League, and the Lady Wildcats will look to keep pace hosting Hiawatha Friday.

Sabetha (4-4, 4-3 Big 7) meanwhile will look to bounce back hosting Royal Valley Friday with live coverage on 92.1 KMZA.

Holton: Shay Tanking – 24, Lauryn Moore – 10, Sarah Lierz – 3, Tabor Barta – 3, Maleah Price – 2.

Sabetha: Hillary Krebs – 14, Jessica Payne – 5, Kinley Schuette – 3, Hannah Wertenberger – 2, Skylar McAfee – 1.

BOYS

In a game where neither team led by more than four points, the Sabetha boys’ basketball team used a pair of huge 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to erase a four point deficit to take down Holton at home Tuesday 41-36.

The first quarters were a near stalemate, as Sabetha led by one after the first quarter, Holton led by one at halftime, and the two teams were tied heading into the fourth quarter.

Neither team was clicking on all cylinders offensively by any means, but the Bluejays finally got things going in the fourth quarter.  

Trailing by four, senior Brett Stallbaumer hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give erase the deficit and give Sabetha the lead. Stallbaumer hit one more for good measure to finish things off, as he finished with a team-high 16 points with 11 coming in the second half.

The win kept Sabetha (5-3, 5-2 Big 7) alone in third place in the Big 7, as the Bluejays will host Royal Valley Friday with live coverage on 92.1 KMZA.

Holton (4-5, 3-5 Big 7) on the otherhand will look to bounce back Friday hosting Hiawatha.

Sabetha: Brett Stallbaumer – 16, Joe Gruber – 11, Ryan Stapelton – 4, David Dyke – 4, Braeden Cox – 2, Gabe Garber – 2, Jesse Berger – 2.

Holton: Mason Chanay – 19, Mason Strader – 6, Zane Moylan – 6, AJ Haussler – 5.