The Kearney Bearcats lost against the Lincoln North Star Navigators back in January of 2023, and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Friday. Kearney had to suffer through a rough 68-37 loss at the hands of Lincoln North Star. While losing is never fun, Kearney can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 89th, while Lincoln North Star is ranked 23rd).
Kearney's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Harley Straka, who scored ten points. Another player making a difference was Paige Mailahn, who scored nine points.
Lincoln North Star's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Sarah Gatwech led the charge by scoring 30 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Gatwech has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Ani Leu, who scored 12 points along with seven rebounds and six steals.
Kearney's loss dropped their record down to 8-6. As for Lincoln North Star, the win (which was their sixth in a row) raised their record to 11-2.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Kearney won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Bellevue West at 4:30 p.m. on January 27th. Bellevue West has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 426 points over their last six contests. As for Lincoln North Star, they won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Benson at 5:45 p.m. on January 27th. Benson is also coming in off of a big victory, so somebody is in for a big reversal of fortune.
