North Central made a Saturday, Jan. 6 LRC journey to Faulkton Area in doubleheader high school varsity basketball action. But the visitors would sweep the evening with a 53-24 varsity girls win and a 66-43 boys victory.

The hosts would only lead 11-4 after a quarter in the girls game but led 23-13 at intermission. But Faulkton really enjoyed the third quarter to lead 34-18 at that juncture of the game.

The hosts were led by Carley Cotton with 20 points including three treys. And Jaymi Senn also nearly reached double figures with her nine points. (She had their remaining trey.) Olivia Hadrick also tallied nine points. Five more Trojan girls scored.

The Thunder were led by Amree Vander Vorst and Alaina Dosch with seven points apiece. They each included one trey. Ashton Heyne tallied four points, while Ella Batie, Jensa Jacobs and Sydney Bertsch all scored two points.

The Thunder were able to connect on eight floor shots that featured those two treys and they were 6-10 in free throw opportunities. Faulkton knocked down 21 baskets in 57 tries and included four treys. They were 7-12 in their free throws.

Faulkton had 29 rebounds; the Thunder 27, led by Batie with seven. The Trojan girls only sustained 12 turnovers and the Thunder incurred 23. But the Thunder had seven steals to help offset them. Jacobs led with three steals. But Faulkton totaled 15 steals of their own.

BOYS

Meanwhile in the boys game Faulkton would jump ahead 22-7 at the first quarter break and still led 52-19 at the half. The hosts would then lead 55-30 after three quarters.

Faulkton was led by Layne Cotton with 29 points, featuring two treys. Charlie Deiter was next with 13 points including one trey. Trey Machtemes added nine points with a trey. Four more Trojans would score.

The Thunder had a balanced scoring effort led by Tim Rucker with nine points and Raynor Sprague with eight points including two treys. Cole Beitelspacher scored six points on two treys as did Kobe Wherry and Cooper Ochsner. Harrison Beyers and Zane Haar each contributed three points on a trey. Dawson Walz added two points to their cause.

The Thunder totaled 15 baskets with those 10 treys. They were 3-9 in free throws. But Faulkton was able to make 26 baskets including their four treys and were 10-17 at the charity stripes.

The visitors enjoyed a 29-20 rebounding edge led by Rucker with nine.

The Thunder boys and girls were scheduled to play a doubleheader hosting Leola/ Frederick Area in Eureka on Jan. 9. They will play a doubleheader versus Great Plains Lutheran on Saturday at Trinity Lutheran gym in Aberdeen. Tuesday, Jan. 16 they play Ipswich girls and boys at Edmunds Central School in Roscoe.