BOYS BASKETBALL: Pius X Bounces Back Late To Edge Omaha Skutt

LINCOLN–(KFOR Jan. 27)–What was a 14-point lead for the Class A No. 5 ranked Lincoln Pius X boys basketball team on Wednesday night was erased in the third quarter by Class B No. 4 Omaha Skutt briefly.

But the Thunderbolts found a way to rally back and held off the defending Class B state champion SkyHawks in a 57-51 victory at Bishop Flavin Gym, in a game heard on KFOR.

Pius X (10-1) had a 30-16 lead with under a minute left in the first half, before Skutt started an 11-0 run to end the half and start the third quarter, of a three-point play from Mitch Scholl and a Charlie Fletcher three-pointer at the buzzer, to trim the SkyHawk deficit to 30-22.

Skutt then led 40-39 with 39 seconds left in the third quarter, when 6-5 center Luke Skar converted on a three-point play. On the next Pius X possession, senior guard Luke Taubenheim converted on his own three-point play. He followed that up with a layup on a fastbreak during the next Thunderbolt possession that made it 44-40 heading into the fourth quarter.

Skutt regained control for a final time with just over 5-and-a-half minutes remaining, when Grant Dvorak scored to put the SkyHawks up 45-44. Brady Christiansen responded with a three-pointer, Taubenheim added another tray to put Pius X ahead the rest of the game.

Sam Hoiberg led Pius X with 16 points, while twin brother, Charlie, added 12 points. Fletcher led all scorers with 19 points for Skutt and Skar added 11 points in the loss.