2015 Heartland Hoops Classic Recaps: Oak Hill nips Packers, 59-54 in featured game of the night.

Oak Hill Academy's Joe Hampton shoots as Omaha South's Anthony Naimie defends during Saturday's Heartland Hoops Classic game at the Heartland Events Center in Grand Island. Oak Hill defeated Omaha South 59-54 (Matt Dixon Photo)
Oak Hill Academy’s Joe Hampton shoots as Omaha South’s Anthony Naimie defends during Saturday’s Heartland Hoops Classic game at the Heartland Events Center in Grand Island. Oak Hill defeated Omaha South 59-54 (Matt Dixon Photo)

(Articles and recaps appeared originally in The Grand Island Independent and were written by Bob Hamar) Omaha South gave the No. 1-ranked team in the nation all it wanted in the final game of the Heartland Hoops Classic Saturday night at the Heartland Events Center. But Oak Hill Academy had just enough to come away with a 59-54 victory over the Packers, who are the No. 2-ranked team in Nebraska behind unbeaten Norfolk.

Oak Hill’s Dwayne Bacon, a Florida State commit, led all scorers with 32 points. He was the only Warrior player to score in double figures. Omaha South coach Bruce Chubick Sr. said he knew the Packers had an uphill battle ahead of them in the eyes of most people against a team that probably has at least a couple of future NBA players.

“Here’s my take. There wasn’t a person in the arena that thought we had a prayer, including you guys (the media). Not anybody thought we had a prayer,” Chubick said. “The only guys who thought we had a chance were the guys in that room and the coaches.”

The game was tied deep into the fourth quarter, and Omaha South had the lead at 50-48 after two free throws by Karlon McSpadden with 3:27 left on the clock. It was tied later at 54 before Joshua Reaves, a future Penn State player, hit a 3-pointer, then made 1 of 2 from the line for a 58-54 Oak Hill lead with 47 seconds left. (more…)

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Omaha Central claims Heartland battle with Denver East

devsocArticle Originally Published in the Omaha World Herald by Stu Pospisil
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — Omaha Central saw in the fourth quarter why Colorado recruited Denver East’s Dom Collier.

At the same time, what Tre’Shawn Thurman was doing for the Eagles was a good audition for more Division I offers.

Thurman scored nine of his team-high 26 points — including the basket that gave Central its margin of victory — down the stretch of a 68-65 win over the Angels in the marquee game of the seventh Heartland Hoops Classic.

Collier, a 6-foot-2 senior, scored 15 points in the fourth quarter as East (16-4) erased an 11-point deficit and took a brief two-point lead, but Central scored the final four points. (more…)

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2014 Heartland Hoops Classic Results and Roundup

elksouthGIArticle Originally Published in the Omaha World Herald by Stu Pospisil

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — A roundup of Saturday’s games at the Heartland Hoops Classic in Grand Island, Neb.

* * *

Norfolk 66, Kearney 62

Only an eight-point comeback was needed Saturday night as Top 10 No. 5 Norfolk completed a weekend sweep and extended its winning streak to six games with a 66-62 win over Kearney in the Heartland Hoops Classic.

The Panthers (19-2) wiped out a 37-29 Kearney lead with a 13-4 surge over two minutes of the third quarter yet couldn’t shake one of Class A’s hotter teams of the past six weeks. (more…)

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Omaha Central-Denver East matchup expected to be up-tempo affair

Tre'Shawn Thurman of Omaha Central
Tre’Shawn Thurman of Omaha Central

by Terry Douglass
The main event in the seventh annual Heartland Hoops Classic figures to be an up-tempo affair.

Four-time defending Nebraska Class A state tournament champion Omaha Central will be making its second consecutive Classic appearance as the Eagles will play Denver East High School on Saturday, Feb. 15. Tipoff at Grand Island’s Heartland Events Center is scheduled for 9 p.m.

“It’s going to be full-court basketball,” Denver East coach Rudy Carey said of the matchup he believes features the best teams from Nebraska and Colorado going head to head. “We press and run and they like to press and run. I know Omaha Central is very aggressive, very good and they’re very well-coached, so we expect it to just be a war.”

Omaha Central coach Eric Behrens echoed Carey’s sentiments.

“Denver East is just really talented,” Behrens said. “They have some guys that can really play — if you look at the Rivals rankings, they’ve got some guys who are really well-known nationally.

“Playing them is going to be a real challenge. Everyone tells us that Denver East is the top team in Colorado in the top class, so we know that’s going to make it a lot of fun.” (more…)

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