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WAYNE - The Cedar Catholic Lady Trojans were as cold as the outside air at Rice Auditorium on the campus of Wayne State Col lege Dec. 29 as the Lady Trojans fell in the opening round of the 2025 Elkhorn Valley Bank Northeast Nebraska Shootout 51-26 to West Central High School from Hartford, S.D.
Cedar Catholic was hanging around the other Lady Trojans in the first eight minutes, arriving at the first rest stop behind 15-10.
Cedar went up 5-0 in the early going on an Addison W alter 3-pointer and an Anisten Wortmann offensive rebound and put back but a West Central bucket inside and back-to-back threes by Kacey Jaton put the northern Lady Trojans in front 8-5.
Another long ball made it 11-5 when Savannah Pick made 1-of-2 from the foul line to get Cedar Catholic back to within 11-6.
Wortmann drove the left side of the paint for another bucket then Walter hit two charity tosses and the red-clad Lady Trojans were back to within a single point, 11-10.
West Central scored the last four points of the first frame to head to the second quarter with a 15-10 advantage.
Unfortunately, Cedar Catholic managed just three points in the second eight-minute session while West Central put up another 15 in the quarter and the teams went to the halftime break with Ce dar trailing 30-13.
Both defenses responded in the third stanza but West Central added four points to the lead as the third ended with the West Central Lady Trojans in front, 38-17.
The lead grew to 51-22 late in the game but a Walter driv e in the paint and a 15-foot jumper by Mara Bernecker for Cedar Catholic posted the 51-26 final score.
Walter paced Cedar Catholic with 10 points, Wortmann added seven. West Central’s Jaton led all scorers with 15.
Cedar Catholic was set to take on South Sioux City on Dec. 30 in the consolation bracket while West Central moved on to take on Wayne in the semifinals.
Consolation finals and the title game are set for Dec. 31.
Cedar 10 3 4 9— 26 West Central 15 15 8 13 - 51 CEDAR: Savannah Pick 1 2-6 4; Mara Bernecker 1 0-0 2; Anisten Wortmann 3 1-4 7; Brynn Bernecker 0 1-2 1; Autumn Kathol 0 1-2 1; Madison Eickhoff 0 1-2 1; Addison Walter 3 3-5 10. WEST CENTRAL: Ellie Knight 4 0-2 8; Bailey Stallman 1 0-0 2; Mackenzie Skonho 4 0-0 8; Kacey Jaton 4 4-4 15; Ayla Kramer 2 0-0 5; Kaylie Schulz 2 0-2 5; Jordyn Phillips 1 0-0 3; Abbi Thornton 2 1-4 5.
