After a string of three wins, the Kearney Catholic Stars's good fortune finally ran out on Tuesday. They fell 57-48 to Holdrege. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Kearney Catholic of the 44-32 defeat they experienced in the two teams' previous head-to-head fixture back in December of 2022.
Kearney Catholic's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Oliver Sharp, who scored 18 points. Brant Christner was another key contributor, scoring four points along with nine rebounds and five assists.
Even though they lost, Kearney Catholic smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Holdrege's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Garret Johnson led the charge by scoring 14 points along with five assists and five rebounds. Johnson has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Coy Swanson, who scored 17 points.
Kearney Catholic's loss ended a four-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 6-6. As for Holdrege, they have been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 8-6 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Kearney Catholic's road trip will continue as they head out to face Aquinas at 3:00 p.m. on January 20th. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Nebraska (Aquinas is ranked 105th, while Kearney Catholic is ranked 102nd). As for Holdrege, they will head out on the road to face off against Minden at 7:45 p.m. on Friday.
