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LAUREL – The Laurel-Concord-Coleridge girls basketball team earned two more wins in the young season to improve to 5-1 with just one game remaining on the pre-holiday slate before the moratorium.
The Lady Bears defeated Ponca 57-45 on Dec. 12 before taking care of Plainview 71-49 on Dec. 15; both games were played in Laurel.
A huge second half propelled Laurel-Concord-Coleridge over the Lady Pirates.
The Lady Bears erupted for 45 second-half points on the way to the 71-49 final.
Their lead was six after the first eight minutes and remained six at the intermission 26-20, but the Lady Bears put up 22 points in the third quarter and 23 in the final frame to run away from Plainview and claim their fifth win of the season.
Freshman Rena Rasmussen paced the LCC offense with 22 points, including a 6-for-6 showing from the charity stripe.
Fellow freshman Kaida Eriksen added 17, including a 6-for-7 performance from the free-throw line; Mallory Eriksen added 11 and Tali Erwin made it four Lady Bears in double figures with 10.
Rasmussen and Mallory Eriksen completed double-doubles after pulling down 12 and 11 rebounds, respectively.
Carlie Kvols handed out four assists; Lainey Schutte recorded three and also had six steals on the evening. Kaida Eriksen swiped four steals.
In the Ponca game, the Lady Bears took over in the final frame to pull away from the Lady Indians after the game was tight through the first three quarters.
Laurel-Concord-Coleridge led by six after one but the lead dwindled to a single basket at the halftime buzzer.
The teams played to a 17-17 stalemate in the third quarter, but the Lady Bears got things going on both ends of the court to outscore Ponca 15-5 down the stretch to claim the win.
Rasmussen again had the hot hand, pouring in 22 points on the evening. Erwin added 12, and Kaida Eriksen and Carlie Kvols each tossed in eight.
Mallory Eriksen was the leading rebounder, hauling in 11; Rasmussen gathered nine missed shots.
The Eriksen girls combined for seven assists, with Kaida handing out four and Mallory distributing three. Rasmussen recorded four steals.
The Lady Bears were set to host Bloomfield on Dec. 19 before the Christmas break.
They will return to action in the Wayne Holiday Tournament Dec. 2830 along with Cedar Catholic, Wayne, Winnebago, Pender, Plattsmouth, Pierce and South Sioux City.
PHS (4-3) 11 9 13 16 - 49 LCC (5-1) 17 9 22 23 - 71 PLAINVIEW: Abbie Kromarek 10-13 6-7 26; Teya Boyer 7-14 2-3 16; Emma Sauser 0-3 0-0 0; Madelynn Dougherty 0-4 0-2 0; Kenzie Doerr 0-3 0-0 0; Brooke Rafert 1-1 0-0 2; Marque Albin 2-9 0-0 5; Peighton Arlt 0-4 0-0 0.
LAUREL-CONCORDCOLERIDGE: Tali Erwin 4-12 0-0 10; Mallory Eriksen 4-7 3-4 11; Lainey Schutte 2-6 1-2 5; Carlie Kvols 1-5 0-0 2; Rena Rasmussen 8-18 6-6 22; Kaida Eriksen 5-9 6-7 17; Toni Thompson 2-3 0-1 4.
PON 6 17 17 5 - 45 LCC 12 13 17 15 - 57 PONCA (4-3): Lily Korth 1-8 3-3 5; Elsie Keller 5-17 0-2 10; Peighton James 3-5 0-0 6; Aix Hughes 7-21 3-8 19; Emerson Ehlers 2-5 1-4 5.
LAUREL-CONCORDCOLERIDGE: Erwin 5-14 2-2 12; M. Eriksen 1-5 1-4 3; Schutte 2-10 0-0 4; Kvols 3-4 0-0 8; Rasmussen 11-16 0-1 22; K. Eriksen 3-8 0-0 8.
