After flying high against the Norfolk Panthers last Tuesday, the Lincoln Northeast Rockets came back down to earth. Lincoln Northeast was just a bucket shy of victory on Saturday and fell 49-48 to Papillion-LaVista South. It was the first time this season that Lincoln Northeast let down their fans at home.
Despite the loss, Lincoln Northeast still got an impressive performance from Doneelah Washington, who dropped a double-double on 22 points and 16 rebounds. Washington is absolutely dominating the rebound category: she's posted at least eight every time she's taken the court this season. Serena Heeren was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with nine rebounds.
Even though they lost, Lincoln Northeast smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Papillion-LaVista South only pulled down five offensive rebounds.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Papillion-LaVista South to victory, but perhaps none more so than Ella Morehouse, who scored 17 points along with four steals. Morehouse hasn't dropped below two steals for four straight games. Another player making a difference was Addison Medeck, who scored 13 points along with five rebounds.
Lincoln Northeast's defeat ended a seven-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 13-4. As for Papillion-LaVista South, they are on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine games, which provided a nice bump to their 12-5 record this season.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Lincoln Northeast will challenge Lincoln Southwest at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Nebraska (Lincoln Southwest is ranked 22nd, while Lincoln Northeast is ranked 25th). Papillion-LaVista South on the road again on Saturday and play against Lincoln East at 3:30 p.m. on February 3rd.
