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LAUREL — After opening the season 4-0, the Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Bears have hit a bit of a “slide” finishing 2024 with five straight losses and opening 2025 with three.
A closer look, at least at the current three losses from last week, would allow for some comfort as the three opponents included a 7-3 Cedar Catholic team, a 9-2 Elkhorn Valley squad and an annual “tough” win in Humphrey/Lindsay.
The last three were also played in four days with two of the blemishes on the road.
Humphrey/Lindsay defeated the Bears 61-53 on Jan. 10, Cedar Catholic blasted LCC 86-40 on Jan. 9 and Elkhorn Valley won 56-34 back on Jan. 7.
Against the Bulldogs, the Bears were within two at the end of the first quarter and trailed by nine at the intermission, 34-25.
It remained a nine-point advatage heading into the final eight minutes where LCC trimmed a point off of the lead, but could get no closer, falling by the 61-53 final.
Gibson Roberts scored 22 points to pace the Bears, but he was the lone Laurel-Concord-Coleridge player in double figures.
Freshman, Drey Puppe just missed double digits with nine.
Roberts also pulled down eight rebounds on the night, Tanner Thompson gathered in six missed shots.
Caleb Erwin handed out five assists and had five steals.
The Bears traveled up to Hartington to take on Cedar Catholic and ran into a very hot group of Trojans.
Cedar led by nine after the first frame, but expanded its lead to 45-20 at the break.
The Trojans shot over 60 percent from beyond the arc and set a school record with 15 trifectas on the night.
Roberts again led the Bears with 17 points, Erwin was next with seven. Roberts also had five rebounds and four steals.
In the game with the Falcons, LCC trailed at every stop; by six at the end of one, 14 at the intermission and 17 after the third heading toward the 56-34 final score.
Roberts was the leading LCC scorer with nine points. Eli Haisch, Cade Johnson and Thompson each tacked on six.
Roberts had seven rebounds and handed out six assists.
The road didn’t get any easier for the Bears as they welcomed in 12-1 Wayne on Jan. 14.
LCC heads to Walthill Jan. 17 and host Hartington-Newcastle Jan. 21.
LCC (4-8) 12 13 15 13 — 53 H/L (5-6) 14 20 15 12 — 61 LCC: Caleb Erwin 1-5 0-0 3; Drey Puppe 3-8 2-2 9; Carter Korth 0-2 0-0 0; Gibson Roberts 6-20 7-10 22; Eli Haisch 2-10 0-0 6; Conner Korth 0-1 0-0 0; Tanner Thompson 1-5 2-2 4; Cade Johnson 4-8 0-2 9. LCC (4-8) 13 7 11 9 — 40 Cedar (7-3) 22 23 20 21 —86 LCC: Erwin 3-9 1-2 7; Puppe 1-2 0-0 2; Ca. Korth 2-2 1-2 6; Roberts 7-19 2-3 17; Haisch 0-6 0-0 0; Co. Korth 0-1 0-2 0; Thompson 0-3 2-2 2; Johnson 3-10 0-0 6. EV (9-2) 15 13 16 12 — 56 LCC (4-8) 9 5 13 7 — 34 LCC: Parker Hoeppner 0-1 0-0 0; Erwin 0-4 2-2 2; Talon Carson 0-1 0-0 0; Puppe 0-3 0-0 0; Ca. Korth 0-1 0-0 0; Roberts 4-18 0-0 9; Haisch 2-8 0-0 6; Co. Korth 2-5 0-0 5; Thompson 3-5 0-0 6; Johnson 3-10 0-2 6.
