The South Loup Bobcats boy's basketball team finished their regular season strong with a decisive 6242 victory over the Sumner-Eddyville-Miller Mustangs on Feb. 21. A buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Conner Paulsen at the end of the first half set the tone for the Bobcats, who maintained their lead for the remainder of the game South Loup senior AJ Starr set the tone right from the start, sinking a 3-point shot just as the shot clock expired to put the Bobcats on the board. The team continued to push offensively, holding a narrow 12-10 lead after the first quarter.

The Bobcats’ momentum picked up in the second quarter, as Paulsen drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the Bobcats into halftime with a commanding 30-17 lead.

The Mustangs attempted to fight back in the second half, but South Loup’s aggressive play and defensive stops prevented a comeback. The Bobcats extended their lead with an 18-point third quarter, keeping S-E-M at bay.

Even as both teams scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, South Loup’s early dominance, balanced scoring, and solid defense proved too much for S-E-M to overcome, securing the Bobcats' victory.

Despite a push from S-E-M, the Bobcats’ teamwork and strategic execution ensured a strong finish to their regular season.

'Our team has put in the work all season, and it paid off as we closed out our regular season with a strong win,' said Starr.

Crew Witthuhn led the scoring for the Bobcats with 23 points. He also had 10 rebounds on the night. Dylan Pandorf added 16 points to the South Loup side of the board, along with 5 rebounds and 5 steals.

The Bobcats began sub-district play on Tuesday as they took on Sutton at Cross County High School in Stromsburg. Results of that game were not available at press time.