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ATKINSON - 2026 has been very good to the Hartington- Newcastle Wildcat basketball team as they have opened the season with a couple of wins.
The ‘Cats traveled to Atkinson Jan. 3 where they defeated the West Holt Huskies 53-41 the night after they discarded Randolph 61-54 in a game played in Randolph.
Both teams started a touch slowly in the game with the Huskies. The first quarter ended with the ‘Cats clinging to a 9-6 lead, but West Holt passed HNS in the second frame to take a 22-19 lead into the halftime locker room.
Hartington-Newcastle responded in the third to forge a slight lead by the end of the quarter then put the game out of reach in the final period by outscoring the Huskies 18-9 to post the victory.
Austin Sudbeck led three Wildcats in double figures with 16 points. Mason Krause added 14 and Carter Kelly tacked on 11.
Kelly and Krause posted double-doubles with 11 and 12 rebounds respectively.
Sudbeck dished out four assists.
Sudbeck had another hot night to pace the Wildcats against the Cardinals, pouring in 21 points.
The Redbirds led by a point at the end of the opening eight minutes then maintained the advantage at the intermission.
HNS responded in the third to take over the lead finishing the stanza with a 16-7 advantage then held on for the win.
Krause added 12 points and Kelly scored nine.
Sudbeck recorded the double-double, adding a dozen rebounds to his offensive performance.
The ‘Cats were to remain on the road with a date with Bloomfield on Jan. 6 before a home game with Elkhorn Valley on Jan. 9.
It will be back on the road Jan. 13 when they travel to Humphrey to take on Archangels Catholic.
HNS (5-4) 9 10 16 18 - 53 WH (2-7) 6 16 10 9 - 41 HARTINGTON-NEWCASTLE: Jefferson Ruiz 0-1 0-0 0; Carter Kelly 5-14 1-1 11; Austin Sudbeck 7-20 2-4 16; Will Feilmeier 3-11 0-0 6; Keatyn Arens 1-1 0-0 2; Mason Krause 6-11 2-7 14; Lincoln Grutsch 1-2 0-0 2; Colton Cavanaugh 1-2 0-0 2. HNS (5-4) 11 18 16 16 - 61 RAN (4-3) 12 18 7 17 - 54 HARTINGTON-NEWCASTLE: Kelly 2-7 4-7 9; Sudbeck 8-20 4-10 21; Feilmeier 1-2 4-4 7; Arens 1-1 0-2 3; Krause 5-8 2-4 12; Maximus McCray 0-1; Grutsch 3-5 0-0 6; Cavanaugh 1-3 0-0 3.
