Lady Bears earn split of games

LAUREL — Laurel-Concord-Coleridge split a pair of games as the Lady Bears get set for the 2023 Elkhorn Valley Bank Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout next week in Wayne.

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge defeated Bloomfield on Dec. 19, 78-46, before losing to Archbishop Bergan out of Fremont, 39-28, on Dec. 21. Both contests were in Laurel.

Against the Lady Knights, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge was without the services of Mallory and Kaida Eriksen, which average around 18 points per game between them, which naturally didn’t help.

Bergan made up a three-point deficit at the end of the first quarter to take a 21-16 lead into the halftime locker room.

The Lady Bears nibbled a point off the advantage in the third frame but a four-point fourth quarter ended the Laurel-Concord-Coleridge chances.

Rena Rasmussen was the lone Lady Bear in double figures in the game with 17 points. Lainey Schutte added five, Tali Erwin had four and Toni Thompson tacked on a bucket.

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge spoiled what was a great night for Bloomfield senior, Madison Abbenhaus who finished the night with 32 points.

The Lady Bears held the remaining Bees to just 14 points on the way to the 32-point win.

The lead was just seven points after the first quarter, but LCC exploded for 25 points in the second eight minutes to head to the locker room with a 42-21 advantage.

Rasmussen paced the Lady Bears again with 17 points on the night.

“I just go out there and play basketball, have fun with my teammates,” Rasmussen said. “I don’t really think about scoring, I just go play, if I’m open I’ll try to score. If I’m not, I’ll get it to my teammates.”

The lead would grow to 63-36 at the end of the third period.

Rasmussen led five Lady Bears in double figures.

Schutte finished with 13, Carlie Kvols added 12, Erwin put in 11 and Mallory Eriksen added 10.

Rasmussen completed a doubledouble with 10 rebounds, Mallory Eriksen grabbed eight, Schutte pulled down seven and Kaida Eriksen snared six to go along with five assists and four steals.

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge is set to take on undefeated Pender in the opening round of the Wayne tournament in the 12:30 p.m. game on Dec. 28.

The winner of that game will take on the winner of a game between Cedar Catholic and Winnebago on Dec. 29. The finals are set for Dec. 30.

AB (4-4) 9 12 7 11 - 39 LCC (6-2) 12 4 8 4 - 28 LAUREL-CONCORD-COLERIDGE: Tali Erwin 1-7 2-4 4; Lainey Schutte 2-7 0-0 5; Carlie Kvols 0-2 0-0 0; Brynlee Stanley 0-2 0-0 0; Rena Rasmussen 6-20 5-7 17; Toni Thompson 1-3 0-0 2; Delaney Johnson 0-3 0-2 0. BLO (3-5) 10 11 15 10 - 46 LCC 17 25 21 15 - 78 LAUREL-CONCORD-COLERIDGE: Camryn Soler 1-1 0-0 3; Erwin 4-9 0-0 11; Hattie McCorkindale0-10-00;MalloryEriksen3-10 3-7 10; Schutte 4-6 3-3 13; Kvols 4-5 0-0 12; Stanley 0-1 0-0 0; Justice Olson 0-1 0-0 0; Rasmussen 8-15 1-3 17; Kaida Eriksen 3-11 1-4 9; Karli Ferris 1-1 1-1 3; Thompson 0-1 0-0 0; Johnson 0-1 0-0 0.