The 3A No. 3 Hiawatha Lady Redhawks returned to the Roundhouse on Tuesday night for a gritty Big East League rematch with Nemaha Central.

The two teams previously met in January at the Thunder Classic, where Hiawatha defeated its league rival 47–33 to advance to the championship game. This time around, the Redhawks leaned on a dominant third quarter to hold off the Thunder and secure a tighter 44–40 victory.

The contest opened as a defensive battle, with both teams struggling to find an offensive rhythm. Nemaha Central held a slim 9–8 advantage after the first quarter and continued its defensive pressure to take a 14–12 lead into halftime.

Hiawatha found its spark in the third period, picking up the tempo and outscoring the Thunder 15–7 to grab a 27–21 lead. Nemaha Central rallied late, but the Redhawks remained composed down the stretch, going 10-of-15 from the free-throw line to seal the four-point win.

Kylie Nelson led Hiawatha with 16 points and four steals. Kenzie Nelson followed up her career milestone with another solid performance, recording eight points and seven rebounds. Adison Williams filled the stat sheet with five points, six rebounds, four assists, and a block, while Claire Twombly added five points and five rebounds. Michaela Williams contributed six points and four assists, and Laura Lierz and Pauly Rockey chipped in two points apiece. As a team, the Redhawks took care of the basketball, committing just 10 turnovers while knocking down six three-pointers.

Nemaha Central was paced by Emma Hermesch, who led all scorers with 20 points to go along with five rebounds and a block, including four of the Thunder’s six three-pointers. Kennedy McKee added eight points and a steal, while Caroline Nordhus chipped in seven points. Liz Lueger scored four points and grabbed three rebounds, and Meg Honeyman and Jade Macke each recorded a rebound and a steal. Despite shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, the Thunder were hindered by 14 turnovers against a stifling Redhawk defense.

Following the game, 5’4” senior Kenzie Nelson was honored at midcourt for surpassing 500 career rebounds, a milestone she reached during Friday’s contest against Perry-Lecompton.

The win keeps Hiawatha’s momentum rolling as the Redhawks improve to 15–1 overall and 6–0 in league play. They will face Riley County on Friday. Nemaha Central, now 11–6 (6–1), will take on Silver Lake in Seneca.