The Ellsworth Bearcats were victorious over the Russell Broncos Tuesday, Jan. 7. The Bearcats quickly showed the Broncos they could score and score fast.

Russell took the first shot of the game but missed. Avery Haxton took the ball down the court and, without any hesitation, shot the first 3-pointer of the night. The Bearcats rallied and, by the end of the first quarter, were up 15 points. The first quarter ended with a score of 23-8.

The ‘Cats continued to work together against Russell. Ellsworth kept the scoring up and out of the reach of the Broncos, extending their lead to 18 points at the half, for a score of 39-21.

As the second half started, Ellsworth continued to gain ground. The Broncos were able to match some points but still were not able to find traction against the ‘Cats. The Bearcats ended the game with a solid victory. They finished 21 points ahead for a final score of 63-42.

Junior Avery Haxton, one of the lead scorers for this game, was elated after the win. When asked about the game Haxton said,“We played a lot better than previous games, and we are starting to put the pieces together to get the team rolling again.”

Braden Schulte led with a score of 21 points, followed closely by Haxton who scored 20. Hayden Rogers also was a big contributor to the score with 12 points.

Others on the scoreboard were: Luke Sharp with 6 points, Cade Gwinner and John Kyler with 2 each.

Schulte and Haxton both contributed 3 pointers.