Northern Tier Sports ReportROME — NEB stayed hot as they ran away from NP-Mansfield, 77-43, during NTL boys’ hoops action on Wednesday.
After taking a 16-12 lead after one the Panthers out scored the Tigers 61-31 the rest of the way.
“A great win tonight,” said NEB coach Paul Burgert. “I thought we played hard. We had a game plan for Andy Hermansen and Jason Harer, and for the most part we did what we needed to on them. They are both tough kids and great competitors. Our pressure was very good tonight.”
They hit 11 3-pointers in the game, and when they owned the offensive rebounding margin 14-2.
There's an old adage, ‘if you ain't rebounding you ain't winning’ and tonight we hit the boards hard on both ends,” Burgert said. “I thought we got really good minutes from everyone tonight, and we played unselfish team basketball. Win or lose, a coach can't ask for much more.”
Cooper Brown had 18 points, and six boards to lead NEB, as Nate Gross, and Mac Burgert had 12 points each. Burgert shot 4-for-8 from deep, while Gross shot 5-for-9 for the game.
Clay Wilks had 11 points, seven boards, and three steals, with Eli Stanton adding nine points, four boards, and three assists.
Anthony Johnson, Dayton Russell, and Dan Barrett had five points each. Russell added seven boards, and six assists, while Barrett handed out six assists.
Hermansen had 17 points to lead NPM.
In opening frame Stanton had four points to lead a balanced NEB effort, while in the second they found the range, hitting six from beyond the arc.
Gross and Burgert had two 3-balls each, with Gross scoring 10 points in the quarter for a 42-27 lead at the half.
The Panthers out scored NPM 17-9 in the third behind seven from Wilks, while in the fourth they ran away with it, 18-7, as Brown had eight points.
NEB won the JV game 60-12 as Gross scored 15, Brody Allen netted 14, and Landon Chapman notched 11.
NEB (13-2) will travel to Athens on Friday.
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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING
