The South Loup Bobcats put together an impressive weekend stretch, earning back-to-back wins over the Maxwell Wildcats and Brady Eagles. Led by senior standouts Crew Witthuhn, Dylan Pandorf, and Conner Paulsen, the Bobcats showed strong balance on both ends of the floor to climb to .500 on the season.

South Loup edged Maxwell out for the win, 48-45, on Friday, Jan. 16 in a tightly contested home matchup behind Witthuhn’s 18 points and a clutch late-game surge. Witthuhn was efficient inside, hitting 9-of-18 shots and pulling down 11 rebounds, while Pandorf added 16 points and 8 rebounds. Paulsen finished with 7 points, 5 rebounds, and a team-high 7 assists, orchestrating the Bobcats’ offense down the stretch.

South Loup shot 21-of-67 from the field and 3-of-17 from the free-throw line. The Bobcats controlled the boards with 36 total rebounds and recorded 14 steals while committing just 4 turnovers—a key to preserving the narrow win.

For Maxwell, freshman Tayton Phillips led all scorers with 17 points, while Brison Brewer added 11. The Wildcats hit 19-of-55 shots but struggled from the line, converting just 1-of-9 attempts.

Less than 24 hours later, South Loup carried that momentum into the Brady contest, earning a 60-51 road victory in a physical, fast-paced matchup on Saturday, Jan. 17. Witthuhn powered the Bobcats with 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. Pandorf and Paulsen each added 14 points, with both seniors perfect from the line at 6-for-6.

South Loup shot 17-of-58 from the field, 4-of-24 from three-point range and made 22-of-23 free throws in one of their most complete offensive outings of the season. The Bobcats also collected 35 rebounds, led by Witthuhn with 9 and Hudson Vickers with 7, while forcing 17 Brady turnovers.

Brady matched South Loup early, knotting the score at 17-17 after the first quarter, but the Bobcats’ defense stiffened in the middle frames before a 23-point fourth quarter sealed the win.

With two consecutive victories, the Bobcats continue to build momentum behind strong senior leadership and improved rebounding presence. South Loup will look to extend its winning streak in the upcoming stretch. They ended the week with an improved record of 4-8.

The Bobcats started this week with a road contest against the Arcadia/Loup City Rebels on Tuesday, Jan. 20, and continue the campaign today, Jan. 22, facing the Ansley/Litchfield Spartans. Tip-off for the boys jv game is set for 4:30 p.m., with varsity to follow.