After flying high against the Burke Bulldogs last Wednesday, the Benson Bunnies came back down to earth. Benson's rough 81-55 defeat to Lincoln North Star on Saturday might stick with them for a while. While losing is never fun, Benson can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 88th, while Lincoln North Star is ranked 23rd).
Benson's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ahmani Klabunde, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten assists. Klabunde hasn't dropped below two steals for four straight games. Jesani Green was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with six rebounds.
Benson struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only two offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Lincoln North Star was led to victory by Kaytee Irons-Buettner and Ani Leu. Irons-Buettner scored 27 points, while Leu scored 18 points along with nine rebounds and five steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Irons-Buettner has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Kendall Anderson, who scored 11 points along with three steals.
Benson has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-6 record this season. As for Lincoln North Star, their victory was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 12-2.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Benson will take on Omaha North at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. As for Lincoln North Star, Lincoln North Star and Fremont will face off at 5:45 p.m. on January 30th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Fremont has now lost seven straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since December 29.
