Longhorns’ season ends with subdistrict loss

    The Chase County boys’ basketball team fell to subdistrict C2-12’s top-seed Bridgeport Feb. 22.
    The Longhorns, seeded fifth in the subdistrict, had to win Feb. 21 to keep their season alive and did so with a 55-50 win over Morrill.
    That win set up the matchup with the Bulldogs the following night.
    Noah Rau was quick to score for the Longhorns, but it took until the five-minute mark for CCS to score again, this time with a three pointer by Ryan Bernhardt. Kade Anderson broke open a 5-5 tie with a three pointer, but Bridgeport went on a five-point run to leave CCS trailing 8-10. Anderson tied the game with two free throws and two minutes left in the quarter. Chase County traded a Bulldog three pointer with a two-point field goal by Bernhardt and looked to head into the second quarter with a two-point deficit. Bridgeport had a different plan and hit a buzzer-beating three pointer to leave CCS trailing 12-16.
    The Longhorns used the first 4:40 of the second quarter to race out to a lead. Anderson’s three pointer cut Bridgeport’s lead to one point. After one free throw by the Bulldogs, Rau and Anderson hit back-to-back buckets to give CCS the lead. Bridgeport tied the game at 19 before another Anderson three pointer. The final 2:15 of the half saw Bridgeport fight back. Camron Lempke made Chase County’s only basket but it wasn’t enough to match six points by Bridgeport. CCS trailed by one point, 24-25, at halftime.
    A poor third quarter by the Longhorns gave Bridgeport control of the game. With only a basket by Rau, CCS found itself trailing 26-33 halfway through the quarter. Chase County traded a Bernhardt basket and one free throw by Anderson with baskets by the Bulldogs. A circus layup by Bridgeport with three seconds left in the quarter left the Longhorns trailing 37-29.
    Driving baskets by Tysen Lempke and Anderson cut the deficit to four points, 33-37 early in the fourth quarter. After a Bulldog basket, T. Lempke kept CCS within four points, 35-39, thanks to two free throws. The Longhorns couldn’t get any closer and Bridgeport put the hammer down over the ensuing three-minute span. CCS trailed 35-52 before a Keenan Cole three pointer stopped the 13-point run by Bridgeport. With the exception of a free throw by Bernhardt, Anderson scored ten of the Longhorns’ final 11 points.
    Anderson totaled 23 points to lead CCS.
District results
    Bridgeport was the 12th seed in Class C2 districts and lost to fifth-seed Doniphan-Trumbull 60-41 Saturday.
    Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family is the top seed and beat 16th seeded Maxwell Saturday 81-33.
    Second-seeded Freeman beat 15th-seeded Oakland-Craig 54-32 Saturday.
    Monday night Grand Island Central Catholic, the fourth seed, beat 13th-seeded Heartland 61-41.
    Sixth-seeded Norfolk Catholic beat Palmyra, the 11th seed, 56-46 Saturday.
    Howells-Dodge, seeded seventh, beat Cross County, seeded 10th, 63-47 Monday.
    Games played Tuesday included third-seeded Hartington Cedar Catholic beating 14th-seeded North Central 75-42 and eighth-seeded Amherst, who CCS beat last year in the district finals, beat ninth-seeded Hastings St. Cecilia 62-45.
    Class C2 boys will begin their tournament Monday at Lincoln Northeast. Games will continue Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.