The Norris City-Omaha-Enfield Junior Cardinal basketball team ventured to Farifield Thursday evening to take on the Colts in a non conference match up. This game would find NCOE starting off very sluggish on the offensive end as they fell behind 8-4 following one quarter of play. The Junior Cardinals did begin to get into a rhythm in the second quarter as they would post nine points along with their opponent to only trail 17-13 at the halftime break.
Following intermission, the Jr. Cards resumed action on a mission and this intensity allowed NCOE to outscore the Colts 8-5 to narrow the gap to just one point with one quarter of play remaining. This final stanza would bring forth lots of excitement and uncertainty but with the ball not falling the Junior Cardinal way the Colts would manage to keep NCOE at bay and hold on for the 28-26 victory.
Leading the way in the scoring for NCOE was Preston Long with 11 points. Others scoring for the Junior Cardinals (9-7) were Joel Hortin five, Cole Roberson four, Colter Rister four, and Cord Tucker two. Tucker and Hortin led the team with two assists each followed by one each from Roberson, Long, Rister, and Aryon Jolley.
Colter Rister ripped down seven rebounds to top the team followed by Cord Tucker, Preston Long, and Cole Roberson with three a piece, Will Thompson two, Aryon Jolley and Joel Hortin one each. In addition, Roberson and Long were credited with three steals a piece, Rister two, and Jolley one.
The junior varsity game started out with the Colts jumping to an early 12-6 advantage but lock down defense kicked in for the Junior Cardinals in the second quarter as they allowed their opponent nary a point while they added five to their total to narrow the Fairfield lead to just one (12-11) heading into the locker room at halftime.
Second half action kicked off with both teams struggling on the offensive end as each was only able to add two points to their total leaving the game at a one point differential heading into the final quarter of play. This fourth and final quarter would witness NCOE pick up their aggressiveness which allowed them to outscore the Colts 12-6 to claim the come from behind victory 25-20.
Joel Hortin led the Jayvee squad (5-4) with eight points followed by Erik Healy with six, Colby Prather five, Tate Riggs four, and Cord Tucker two. Tucker dished out the lone assist in the contest.
Erik Healy was the leading rebounder with seven followed by Joel Hortin with six, Tate Riggs three, Colby Prather three, Cord Tucker two, Jaden Simmons two, and Nolan Prather one. Healy and Riggs collected two steals while C.Prather added one.
