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WAYNE — The 2025 Elkhorn Valley Bank Northeast Nebraska Shootout is an experience the Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Bears basketball team would probably rather forget.
The Bears were coming off of a couple of losses before the holiday break and were looking for a “fresh start” heading into the new year.
Unfortunately, the Bears looked as if they were still on break as they lost their first two games in the tournament 49-25 to Pender in the first round and 66-20 to Omaha Concordia in the consolation semifinals to get seventh place.
There were only seven boy’s teams this year so the seventhplace game was not contested.
Omaha Concordia grabbed a double-digit lead after the opening eight minutes and really never looked back on the way to the big win.
After scoring 11 points in the first quarter, LCC managed a free throw in the second frame and four points in each of the third and fourth quarters.
Drey Puppe and Cade Johnson each scored six points in the contest. Dayton Korth pulled down six rebounds.
Johnson had three steals. In the opening round against the Pendragons, another bad quarter put the game out of reach.
The Bears were down 14-7 after one then 22-14 at the half.
The third quarter was a bit of a disaster as LCC managed just a bucket in the eight-minute session and the Pendragons went on to win from there.
Johnson and Paxton Hoeppner paced the Bears with six points each. Korth yanked down six rebounds.
LCC was set to take on Elkhorn Valley Jan. 6 in Tilden then welcome Cedar Catholic to town Jan. 8.
The Bears will host Humphrey/ Linsay Academy on Jan. 9 then travel to Wayne to take on the Blue Devils Jan. 13.
OC (7-2) 23 12 24 7 - 66 LCC (3-5) 11 1 4 4 - 20 LAUREL-CONCORD-COLERIDGE: Parker Hoeppner 0-1 0-0 0; Dayton Korth 0-2 0-0 0; Paxton Hoeppner 1-4 0-0 2; Talon Carson 1-3 0-0 3; Drey Puppe 3-9 0-2 6; Ian Sohler 1-3 0-2 2; Tanner Thompson 1-3 1-4 3; Cade Johnson 2-13 1-4 6. LCC (3-5) 7 7 2 9 - 25 PEN (9-3) 14 8 11 16 - 49 LAUREL-CONCORD-COLERIDGE: Par. Hoeppner 0-3 0-0 0; Dayton Korth 1-3 0-2 2; Pax. Hoeppner 2-5 0-0 6; Carson 1-4 0-0 2; Puppe 1-9 1-2 3; Sohler 1-2
