Hershey Next For Horns After Win At Morrill

The Kimball Longhorns boys basketball team hosts Hershey 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, in a non-district matchup to close the 2022 portion of it season.

Kimball sits at second place in the district with a 1-1 record after its 68-31 win at Morrill on Saturday, Dec. 10. The Horns lost to Perkins County the night before, 59-47, and are 1-3 overall on the season.

As for Hershey, the Panthers are 0-4 overall after losing, 57-40, to North Platte St. Pat's on Dec 10.

Hershey and Kimball have played one common opponent thus far: Perkins County, and Kimball has fared a bit better. Hershey lost 63-42 at home and Kimball lost by a narrower margin at home, 59-47.

Here's a glance at Kimball's last two games.

Perkins County 59, Kimball 47

The Horns trailed 34-16 at the half, but outscored the visitors 31-25 in the second half in this 12-point loss.

Multiple players have been making significant contributions for Kimball this season, and the Perkins County game was no different.

Juniors Brandon Paxton and Wyatt Cords led Kimball with 12 points each, followed by sophomore Kyler Lusche with 10. Also scoring for Kimball were sophomore Bransyn Kiefer (6 points), freshmen Ryker Behrend (3) and freshman Braxton Miller and senior Kyle Fraser with 2 each.

Lusche hauled in 11 rebounds to lead Kimball, and Paxton was next with 7.

Kimball's assist leaders were Braxton Miller with four and Paxton with 3.

Blake Garner led PC with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Jackson Wykert dished off 4 assists.

Kimball 68, Morrill 31

Kimball won the first quarter, 25-12, and the third quarter, 21-0, which accounted for most of the point differential in this game.

Paxton led the Horns with both 25 points and 15 rebounds, and Lusche was right behind him with 23 points and 13 off the boards. Braxton Miller was the assist leader with 8.

Also scoring for Kimball were Wyatt Cords (9), Braxton Miller (6) and Ryker Behrend (5).

Cody John was Morrill's top scorer with 12 points.