Trojan boys, girls down Bears

CULBERTSON -- The Cambridge boys basketball team opened the season Thursday with a 63-27 victory at Culbertson.

Waid Vontz led the Trojans with 15 points, followed by Matt Sexton with 14 and Marcus Vontz 13.

Anthony Lytle contributed 5, Travis Maatsch 4 and Derik Light 2.

Cambridge High School's Travis Maatsch (41 in black) looks for a teammate to pass the basketball to during Thursday night's game at Culbertson. Defending for Culbertson are Brandt Hagan (25 left) and Todd Bauer (23). Cambridge defeated Culbertson 63-27. Hagan led the Bears in scoring with 15 points. (Diane Stamm/McCook Daily Gazette)

Brandt Hagan led the Bears with 15 points. Curtis Olson added 4, Dolyn Brown 3, Todd Bauer 2 and Lucas Kotschwar 2.

Cambridge led at halftime 37-12.

"Cambridge shot well and we could not contain their inside game," said Culbertson coach Mike Tines. "The boys played hard, but the shots just didn't fall tonight."

Cambridge girls 53, Culbertson 25

CULBERTSON -- The Cambridge girls held Culbertson to single-digits in the season-opening win, 53-25.

Cambridge's Lisa Minnick was the lone player to reach double-digits with 16 points.

She also had a team high eight rebounds and four steals.

Kaitlyn Deaver scored eight points with Kaci Nickerson dropping in another seven. Andi Langely finished with seven rebounds and four assists.

The Bears were led by Bailey Lacey with eight points and three steals,

Allison Smith scored seven points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

Corin Hartzer and Kayla Bauer each finished with five rebounds.

Cambridge, ranked fourth in Class C2 by the Omaha World-Herald, pulled down 46 rebounds to Culbertson's 43.

Culbertson made just 2 of 23 from the free-throw line while Cambridge was 5 of 13.

"We played a typical first game with a young, inexperienced team," said Culbertson coach Barry Schaeffer.

"The girls played hard and competed throughout the game but too many turnovers and not enough baskets did not allow us to stay in the game."

Schaeffer hopes his team shows improvement tonight when the Bears (0-1) take on Lakeside Central at home. Cambridge (1-0) travels to Eustis-Farnam tonight.

Cambridge -- Minnick 16, Nickerson 7, Deaver 8, Moore 6, Edgerton 6, Langely 3, Macke 2, Bruckman 2, Rice 2

Culbertson -- Lacey 8, Smith 7, Hartzer 4, B. Hagan 3, A. Hagan 2, Ferneau 1