The Thayer Central Titans waltzed into their contest Friday with two straight wins but they left with three. They enjoyed a cozy 41-22 victory over Heartland. Given Thayer Central's advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 96th, while Heartland is ranked 221st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Thayer Central found their leader in underclassman Piper Havel, who scored four points along with 11 rebounds and five assists. Havel set a new season high mark in blocks with five. The team also got some help courtesy of Addie Marsh, who scored seven points along with five steals.
Heartland's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Allie Boehr, who scored six points. Emerysn Oswald was another key contributor, scoring three points.
Thayer Central's victory bumped their record up to 4-2. As for Heartland, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-5 record this season.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Thayer Central will be home for the holidays to greet Wilber-Clatonia at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Heartland won't have much time to rest: their next match is against McCool Junction at 3:30 p.m. on December 16th. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (McCool Junction has four straight wins, Heartland has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
