Basketball Recap: Jacob Webber Key Part of a Team Effort in Bearcats Win

Kearney won the last time they faced Lincoln East and things went their way on Friday too. The Kearney Bearcats snuck past the Lincoln East Spartans with an 80-75 win. Given the Bearcats' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 39th, while the Spartans are ranked 130th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Kearney's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jacob Webber, who went 5 for 8 en route to 18 points. The match was Webber's tenth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Ben Johnson, who posted 16 points along with eight assists and seven boards.

Lincoln East's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Luke Larson, who went 8 of 13 on his way to 20 points and five rebounds. Those 20 points gave Larson a new career-high. Reid Voog was another key player, going 6 for 10 from beyond the arc en route to 18 points.

Kearney is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 11-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 72.5 points per game. As for Lincoln East, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 5-12.

Kearney will be playing in front of their home fans against Grand Island at 7:45 p.m. on Thursday. As for Lincoln East, they will square off against Westview at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Westview will roll in looking for their 11th straight win, something Lincoln East surely won't give up without a fight.