Interim Head Coach Chris Pocock, KHS Girls Basketball @ Lincoln High // Mitchell Brandt
LINCOLN – The first win of the season came Thursday night for the Kearney Girls basketball program, using a strong defensive effort to fend off Lincoln High on their home floor with a 46-30 win. Click here to listen to the broadcast replay.
The Bearcats (1-2) were able to rely on steady scoring by its two leaders – Kelsey Hatcher and Harley Straka – while also holding back the young Links to single digit scoring in each of the quarters. Kearney would outpace Lincoln High in each period, holding 9-7, 13-8, 18-9, and 6-6 advantages at the end of each scoring quarter.
Harley Straka, KHS Girls Basketball @ Lincoln High // Mitchell Brandt
Although the game began slow, Kearney controlled the pace of the contest withstanding the relentless man-to-man defense employed by first year Link head coach Jeff Rump. Avery Franzen’s five first quarter points aided in getting Kearney the early lead, while also allowing a single field goal to convert in the opening eight minutes.
Kearney’s scoring picked up in the second and third quarters as Hatcher would hit two triples between the quarters – including fourteen of her game-high eighteen points – while Straka’s eight points in both quarters bookended continuing leads for the Bearcats. Kennidy Garner’s three pointer extended the lead further in the third quarter, as Lincoln High could not keep up despite hot shooting in the second by Anaya Ownes who hit back-to-back triples.
Kennidy Garner, KHS Girls Basketball @ Lincoln High // Mitchell Brandt
The Bearcats would balloon their lead to nearly twenty points in the waning moments, giving interim head coach Chris Pocock a chance to bring in reserves to close out the contest for the 46-30 win.
Kearney heads home with a day rest before taking on Omaha Westside on Saturday afternoon. The Bearcats will host the Warriors at 4 PM with pregame on KGFW beginning at 3:45 PM. Alex Hammeke will have the action on 1340 KGFW, 96.1 FM, on the free KGFW mobile app, and online at KGFW.com.
Sophie Glandt, KHS Girls Basketball @ Lincoln High // Mitchell Brandt
KGFW UNOFFICIAL SCORING:
Kearney: Hatcher (18 points), Straka (12), Garner (7), Franzen (5), Addie Snyder (2), Paige Mailahn (2).
Lincoln High: Owens (8), Aniyah Hicks-Robinson (7), Jamier Wilson (6), Gigi Owens (4), Ahmani Sulley (3), Amaya Moore (2).
Listen to assistant coach Dave Zimmer’s postgame thoughts here:
