Hanover held off a late surge from Axtell to secure a 43-35 victory in the sub-state championship, sending the Wildcats back to the state tournament as they continue their pursuit of a fourth straight title. After building a commanding early lead, Hanover had to withstand a fourth-quarter rally from the Eagles before closing the game out in the final minutes.

The Wildcats dominated early, jumping out to a 10-1 lead after the opening quarter and extending the advantage to 17-1 with less than three minutes remaining in the first half. Axtell struggled offensively throughout the first half, shooting just 2-of-22 from the field. The Eagles’ first field goal came on a three-pointer from Ava Broxterman, who finished the half with four points. Hanover carried a 25-6 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Kennedy Cohorst helped push the Wildcats further ahead with an impressive third-quarter performance, knocking down two treys and scoring eight points in the period.

Axtell showed signs of life in the third quarter, outscoring Hanover 10-8, but still trailed 33-16 heading into the fourth. The Eagles then caught fire from deep in the final quarter, knocking down five three-pointers to cut the deficit to 35-32 with 4:11 remaining.

However, the momentum didn’t last. Hanover regained control down the stretch, closing the game on an 8-3 run over the final four minutes to seal the win.

Sophomore Nora Hieman earned Player of the Game honors for the Wildcats, finishing with 10 points and eight rebounds while going an impressive 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. Axtell was led by sophomore Katelyn Detweiler, who scored 13 points and hit three treys.