The Nemaha Central Middle School boys basketball team had a makeup game on Saturday, January 25, 2025 against Atchison in their high school gymnasium. The Thunder was hoping to pick up a few wins on the day.
The eighth grade A-team’s matched up to start the morning. In the first quarter, both teams played neck and neck and the quarter ended with a very close score of 6-7, with Atchison in the lead. The second quarter ended differently from the first quarter. Atchison managed to score 17 more points in the quarter while NC again scored 6. The second quarter ended with a score of 12-24.
The third quarter wasn’t so good for the Thunder. Atchison scored 8 points while NC scored 4 points. The Thunder boys knew they had to step up their game. In the fourth quarter, the Thunder boys scored 9 points, however, their defense also gave up 20 points to Atchison. The game ended with the Thunder losing 25-52.
Tyson Beebe-Dishong said, “We played hard and had a fun time, that is all that matters.”
The eighth grade B-team took the floor next. In the first quarter, Atchison took control of the game scoring 18 points and holding the Thunder offense to 0. In the second quarter, NC still didn’t have much luck, and they were unable to score, while Atchison scored 10 points. The score going into halftime was 0-28.
The Thunder boys were hoping for a better outcome in the last half. The third quarter began and the Thunder boys hit some shots but Atchison was still on a roll. The third quarter ended with a score of 5-45. As NC headed into the fourth quarter, they were hoping to score a few more points. They were able to score 12 points, but Atchison stayed strong and earned the victory with a score of 17-53.
The seventh grade A-team started the game off well. The game started with both teams hitting a few baskets. At the end of the quarter, NC was leading 7-5. The second quarter went even better for the Thunder boys. NC held Atchison to 3 points and managed to score 10 of their own. The score going into halftime was 17-8, with the Thunder leading.
The Thunder boys’ momentum carried into the second half. NC scored 10 points in the third quarter holding Atchison to a freethrow. Both teams scored 4 points in the fourth quarter, ending the game with a Thunder win 31-13.
Evan Spring said, “We did really well and had good defense.”
The seventh grade B-team was up after the A-team. In the first quarter, Atchison scored 2 points, while NC scored 7. The second quarter was a tie of 7-7. The Thunder team put in a lot of effort both offensively and defensively. Going into halftime, the score was 14-9. The Thunder boys were in the lead.
In the last half, the Thunder had it all going their way. In the third quarter, Atchison scored 7 points and NC scored 12. Things changed a little in the fourth quarter as Atchison scored 11 points and NC scored 9. The game ended with the Thunder boys winning 35-27.
The seventh grade teams had a great morning picking up a couple of wins, but the eighth grade teams did not fare as well. The Thunder boys have improved throughout the season and they will continue to play hard.
Article by: Haelyn Wahl