BOYS BASKETBALL: Rockets Take Off In 2nd Quarter In Win Over Silver Hawks

Lincoln Northeast’s Zachary Moerer (3) shoots over Lincoln Southwest’s Tanner Vercellino (21) in a 62-46 Rocket victory on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021 at Northeast’s Ed Johnson Gym. Watching are Southwest’s Jared Bohrer (2) and Ben Hunzeker (10), along with Northeast’s Pierce Bazil (23). (Courtesy of Jered Motz)

LINCOLN–(KFOR Jan. 21)–It took a little bit for the Lincoln Northeast boys basketball team to settle down into their own groove against Lincoln Southwest on Thursday night.

Good passing from Pierce Bazil and big shots from Zachary Moerer helped the Class A No. 10 Rockets to a 62-46 victory over the Silver Hawks in a game heard on KFOR.

Bazil, who normally averages around 20 points a game, helped make some nice passes to Moerer for some big shots in the second quarter and found 6-7 senior center Connor Renard for some easy baskets during the stretch. Bazil finished with 13 points and seven assists for Northeast, who improved to 8-3.

Moerer led the Rockets with a team-high 21 points, while Renard added 16 points and 14 rebounds in overcoming Southwest’s Ben Hunzeker, who had 20 of his teams 24 first half points. Northeast countered by limiting Hunzeker to just two points in the second half. He finished with a game-high 22 in the loss for the injury-plagued Silver Hawks, who were without 6-5 senior forward Tyler Sellentin.

Northeast took off from a 29-24 halftime lead to a 45-34 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Bazil scored nine of his 13 points in the final quarter for the Rockets.

Zander Beard also scored in double-figures for Northeast with 10 points. The Rockets have a rematch on Saturday afternoon with Lincoln Southeast, who got a 63-60 victory over Northeast in the quarterfinals of the Heartland Athletic Conference Tournament.

Southwest dropped to 3-6 and will host Kearney on Saturday.