LEXINGTON- Stands were filling up and the student sections were getting rowdy as Lexington and Cozad set to square off in the latest chapter of the Highway 30 showdown.

 The Maids came into the contest ranked ninth in Class B, looking to move up the ladder. While Cozad was looking to pull of an upset of the Maids.

 The upset looked promising early, but the Maids got their feet set as they pulled away in the second half to down the Haymakers 56-27.

 Early in the game, Cozad pulled out in front and had led by as much as three. Lexington crept back ahead and led after the first quarter 11-7. The second quarter was more turnovers and strong defenses by both teams as they went into the locker rooms with the Maids leading 20-12.

 Many people were scratching their heads as to why the Lexington scoring machine was not themselves at that point.

 A different Lexington team came out of the locker room and erupted for 22 points in the third quarter. Cozad didn’t have an answer as they found themselves down by double digits, trailing 42-25.

 The fourth quarter, Lexington left no doubt on the court, going on a 14-4 run to end the game and seal up the win.

“All of the girls did a nice job,” Head coach Randy Carpenter said. “ We had a slow start, with less intensity than we needed to have, but we came out in the third quarter and played much better.”

 For Lexington, senior Renee Otero and Junior Sydney Seberger led the squad with 12 points a piece. Junior Hailey Mandelko contributed with 10 points for the Maids.

 For Cozad, they were led by Carly Henry, scoring 12 points, while Jessica Finnegan scored eight points for the Lady Makers.

 The win for Lexington improves them to 9-3 on the season, while Cozad drops to 5-10 overall.

 The crowd seemed to grow larger and student section even rowdier as the boys took to the floor for warm-ups. Before the warm-ups even began, the student sections started heckling each other.

 The game had the makings of a great one, with both teams slugging back and forth. A Lex technical kept it close, but in the end, the Minutemen earned the bragging rights for another year, defeating Cozad 70-51.

 The Minutemen were smokin’ shooting the ball in the first half, scoring 23 points in the first quarter, and taking an 18-point lead into half, leading 41-23.

 The second half proved to be more exciting, as Cozad decided to throw a few punches back. Hawken Albus received a technical foul in the third quarter, causing him to foul out of the game. Cozad proceeded to outscore the Minutemen 22-10 in the third, cutting the lead significantly and trailing 51-45.

 The student section were pretty much in a frenzy as the fourth quarter began. Students wearing retro basketball gear, even two Lexington students dressed as hillbillies, walking with a big sign that said “40-0…’nuff said!” to rub this year’s football rivalry in the opponents’ faces.

 The fourth quarter belonged to the Minutemen, as the hot shooting continued, winning the fourth quarter 19-6, with Cozad only getting within seven at one point, before Lex hit the gas for good, and ran away with the 19-point win.

 The Minutemen shot the best game of the season, hitting 58 percent of their shots in the first half, finishing out at 42 percent for the game.

 Cozad struggled once again shooting the ball, only hitting 31 percent of their shots, including 5 of 18 from three-point range.

 Both teams shot poorly from the free throw line, both going 14-25 from the charity stripe.

 Lexington controlled the glass by out-rebounding the Haymakers 46-22. Cozad kept themselves in the game for the most part, by committing 20 Lexington turnovers. However, Lexington forced 21 Haymaker turnovers to help seal the victory.

 “We seemed to get a little confidence with each shot that made,” Head coach Eric Young said. “ We moved the ball around and got some open looks. Anytime that you get looks inside the paint and you get a little momentum, things will start to fall.”

 R.J. Seberger possibly shot one of his best games of his career for the Minutemen, scoring a game-high 22 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Four Lexington players scored in double figures, as Andrew Rios scored 11 points, Aaron Luther scored 12 points and Tyler McKeone chipped in with 10 points. McKeone also recorded a double-double, nabbing 10 boards.

 For Cozad, senior Mason Fischer led the Haymaker attack with 15 points. Evan Worrell scored 10, while Jordan Hickenbottom had his worst offensive performance of the season, scoring nine points and grabbing five rebounds.

“We are still struggling to put together a whole game,” Cozad Head coach Scott Foster said. “Nice third quarter, but one quarter is not enough. I was pleased with the effort, but we will keep working to get better prior to districts.”

 The win puts Lexington at 7-5 on the season, while Cozad continues to struggle down the stretch, losing it’s tenth straight game, falling to 2-11 on the year.

 The Lexington teams take a week off, before hosting ranked Adams Central on Jan. 28.

 Jon Soflin contributed to this report.

• Cozad Basketball
• Cozad Boys Basketball
• Cozad Girls Basketball
• Cozad Haymakers
• Lexington Basketball
• Lexington Boys Basketball
• Lexington Girls Basketball
• Lexington Minutemen

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