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NELIGH — The Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Bears salvaged a win last week in the last game of the seven-day period with a 35-25 low-scoring contest with Neligh-Oakdale on the road.
Earlier in the week, the Bears dropped a heartbreaking 55-54 loss to Summerland on Jan. 16 in Laurel and a 62-32 drubbing from Wayne on Jan. 13 in Wayne.
In the win over the Warriors, LCC sprinted out to an 186 lead at the end of the first eight minutes.
The Bears went ice cold after the opening stanza and actually scored 17 points in the final 24 minutes of the contest.
Neligh-Oakdale closed the gap in the second quarter and the teams went to the intermission with the Bears clinging to a 22-16 advantage.
The Warriors nibbled at the lead in the third and got to within 27-23 heading into the final period.
The LCC defense bowed its neck and held Neligh-Oakdale to a single basket while scoring eight points to arrive at the final score.
Cade Johnson scored just over half of his team’s points, finishing the night with 18 points.
Tanner Thompson added nine points.
Paxton Hoeppner, Ian Sohler and Johson each corralled nine missed shots. Johnson posted five steals on the night, Parker Hoeppner and Thompson recorded four steals.
By press time Tuesday no statistics were available for the game with Summerland.
Laurel-Concord-Coleridge fell behind by 17 in the first quarter against the Blue Devils and the deficit grew to 23 heading into the halftime break.
The teams played even in the third but the damage had already been done and Wayne finished off the lead at 30 points.
Johnson led the way for the Bears tossing in 12 points, Drey Puppe contributed nine.
Johnson grabbed six rebounds, Parker Hoeppner dished out three assists.
The Bears were scheduled to brave the cold and hit the road to take on Hartington-Newcastle on Jan. 20 before traveling to Battle Creek on Jan. 22. LCC will then head down to Norfolk to take on Lutheran High Northeast on Jan. 27.
LCC (5-9) 18 4 5 8 - 35 N-O (4-11) 6 10 7 2 -0 25 LAUREL-CONCORD-COLERIDGE: Parker Hoeppner 1-6 0-0 2; Paxton Hoeppner 0-4 0-0 0; Talon Carson 1-5 0-0 2; Ian Sohler 2-7 0-2 4; Tanner Thompson 3-8 3-4 9; Cade Johnson 6-15 4-6 18. SUM (6-7) 55 LCC (5-9) 54 LAUREL-CONCORD-COLERIDGE: NA LCC (5-9) 6 8 10 8 - 32 WAY (9-6) 23 14 10 15 - 62 LAUREL-CONCORD-COLERIDGE: Par. Hoeppner 0-3 0-0 0; Pax. Hoeppner 1-2 0-0 2; Carson 1-3 0-0 3; Drey Puppe 4-13 0-0 9; Sohler 0-2 1-2 1; Thompson 1-3 2-2 5; Johnson 5-13 2-6 12.
