Late rally pushes No. 9 Clarkson/Leigh girls past No. 1 Pender

PENDER, Neb. -- For over 30 minutes, Clarkson/Leigh trailed top-ranked Pender, but the the Patriots got the lead when it mattered most in a 45-43 girls' basketball win.

Chlie Hanel scored a fast-break layup in the final minute to push the ninth-ranked Patriots past the Pendragons in Class C-2 play. Hanel finished with a game-high 14 points, including nine in the second quarter.

Hanel's late bucket followed a game-tying score by Cadence Indra just seconds earlier, marking the first time the game had been tied since it was 0-0.

Avery Wegner, who has battled a hip injury much of the season, appeared to re-aggravate her injury after she had already scored 17 points to pace Pender. She came back into the game in the fourth quarter, but Hanel's heroics undid her efforts. Maya Dolliver added 11 for the Pendragons.

It's the second straight win over a ranked team in less than 24 hours for the Patriots. Clarkson/Leigh notched a win over Class D-2 No. 2 Humphrey St. Francis.

The Patriots are now 11-3, while the Pendragons drop to 13-2. Clarkson/Leigh will next play Tuesday, hosting Lutheran High Northeast. Pender, which saw its eight-game winning streak come to a close, will attempt to start a new streak Monday at Wynot.