BOYS BASKETBALL: Bazil’s 31 Points Paces Northeast Past Kearney

LINCOLN–(KFOR Jan. 14)–After only scoring three points last Saturday in a 31-point loss to Class A No. 5 Lincoln Pius X, Lincoln Northeast senior guard Pierce Bazil got back on track Thursday night against Kearney.

Bazil poured in 31 points to lead the No. 10 Rockets to a 78-62 victory over the Bearcats in boys basketball at the Ed Johnson Gym, in a game heard on KFOR FM103.3/1240AM.

Bazil scored 13 points in the first quarter, which saw Northeast take off to a 24-8 lead. Senior guard Zachary Moerer helped out offensively in the second quarter, by connecting from 3-point range on three occasions to build the Rocket lead by as much as 24 points. Moerer wound up hitting four, three-pointers and scoring 16 points in the game. Northeast’s lead at halftime was 42-24.

The Rockets (6-2) forced Kearney to commit 18 turnovers in the game. Northeast’s 6-7 senior center Connor Renard, who added 15 points in the win, also had five blocked shots in the game.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Rockets built up a 63-40 lead, but the Bearcats cut the deficit down as much as 12 points, after Preston Pearson scored with three minutes remaining to trimming Northeast’s lead to 71-59. Then Bazil capped a 7-0 Northeast spurt with a dunk in transition and a layup on a fastbreak.

Kearney, who fell to 6-5, was led by Jack Johnson’s 17 points, while Pearson and senior guard Easton Bruce each added 12 points.