Dylan Pandorf takes the ball to the bucket against Twin Loup while Yahya Harris tries to block the shot for the Wolves.

The South Loup Bobcats opened their subdistrict tournament with a 56–39 victory over the Anselmo- Merna Coyotes on Tuesday, Feb. 24, before falling to the Twin Loup Wolves in Thursday’s semifinal, 72–50. With that loss, the Bobcats closed out a season that showed steady growth in the boys’ offensive and defensive efforts, culminating in an increasingly successful run towards the end. The three senior leaders – Crew Witthuhn, Dylan Pandorf and Conner Paulsen – shone on both ends of the court and pushed the team to their 10 total wins for the year.

In the first round of subdistrict play last Tuesday, South Loup whipped the Anselmo-Merna Coyotes in a hard fought 56-39 contest. The Bobcats trailed 12–10 after the first quarter and 25–21 at halftime before turning on the heat in the second half. They held the Coyotes scoreless in the third quarter while putting up 15 of their own and kept it up in the final minutes with a run of 20 points to the Coyotes 14.

The Bobcats shot 33% overall on 20 made field goals, including 3-of-18 from beyond the arc and 13of-23 from the foul line. The team totaled 33 rebounds and added 17 assists, 12 steals, and 4 blocks while committing 13 turnovers.

Crew Witthuhn led with 19 points on 47% shooting, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks, locking in another double-double for his efforts – his 12th for the year. Pandorf followed with 18 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block, shooting 40% from deep and 55% from the line. Paulsen posted 5 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists. Freshman Hudson Vickers added 6 points, and sophomore Tysen Schacher contributed 4 points and 5 assists. Junior Malachi Neth tallied 4 points and 2 rebounds.

In Thursday’s semifinal contest versus the Wolves, the Bobcats kept pace through three quarters before Twin Loup’s 22-point final period extended the gap. South Loup trailed 37–26 at halftime and closed the third within 5 points of the Wolves before going cold in the fourth, putting up just 5 points to Twin Loup’s 22. That final run sealed the win for Twin Loup, 72-50.

The Bobcats shot 39% from the field, hitting just 1-of-7 from 3-point range and 17-of-31 at the foul line. They finished with 31 rebounds, 7 assists, 12 steals, and 1 block while turning the ball over 27 times.

Pandorf led the effort this round with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, connecting on 40% of his two-point attempts and 7-of-9 free throws. Paulsen added 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Witthuhn followed with 7 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 assist. Vickers scored 5 points with 5 rebounds, while Schacher, Neth, Jett Morgan, and Dawson Downing each added 2 points to round out the scoring.

Across the two games, South Loup combined for 106 points, 64 rebounds, 24 assists, 24 steals, and 5 blocks. Pandorf totaled 37 points and 14 rebounds over the stretch, and Witthuhn added 26 points and 19 rebounds. The Bobcats closed their subdistrict run 1–1, displaying balanced rebounding and scoring depth despite a high-turnover semifinal against the Wolves.

As the high-output senior starters say goodbye to South Loup basketball, they leave a legacy and solid foundation for the underclassmen to follow and build on. The team has steadily improved over the course of the season, ending their year with a respectable 10-13 record. What the record doesn’t reflect is the grit, tenacity and drive the Bobcats have displayed over their 2025-2026 run. Congratulations on a fantastic season, South Loup ballers!