Winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better. That's what South Loup did as they secured a close 66-62 W over the Medicine Valley Raiders on Friday, Dec. 20. Winning may never get old, but the Bobcats are sure getting used to it with their third in a row.

South Loup's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 3-2. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.7 points per game.

The Bobcats outscored the Raiders in every quarter except the last one, and luckily had built a gap in the first three periods that was too big for Medicine Valley to overcome. The first quarter was a pretty even match-up with the teams battling back and forth to try to gain an early control of the game. South Loup had a 3-point lead at the end of the period, 20-17.

The second quarter picked up where the first had left off – a battle from start to finish. The Bobcats finished the second period also ahead by three, to take a 6-point lead into the halftime locker room.

cont. PAGE 11 - Basketball In the third quarter the Bobcats opened up the gap with the Raiders, outscoring their opponent 15-9. The Raiders began to find their groove in the fourth quarter as they began making shots and playing tougher defense. They put 22 points on the board while holding the Bobcats to 14. However, the lead South Loup had built in the first three periods was enough to propel them to the victory.

No individual stats for the game were available. South Loup will have some time to savor their win since their next game is a little way off. High schools in Nebraska are under a mandatory week-long moratorium. The Bobcats will take part in the holiday tournament in Maxwell this Friday and Saturday.

They will pick up regular season play on Jan. 7, 2025, as they take on Hershey on the road.