By Marisa Dawson
The Bennington Badgers continued their strong season on Thursday night, January 29, sweeping a doubleheader at Elkhorn High School. The girls’ team dominated with a 60-36 victory, while the boys’ squad pulled away for a convincing 69-45 win, showcasing defensive intensity and balanced scoring in both games.
Girls’ Game: Bennington 60, Elkhorn 36
The undefeated Bennington girls (19-0) asserted control early and never looked back against Elkhorn (4-12). They built a significant halftime lead, leading 36-17 at the break.
Bennington’s defense was a standout, forcing turnovers and limiting Elkhorn’s opportunities. The team finished with impressive team totals including 19 assists and strong rebounding efforts. Head coach John O’Connor praised his team’s defensive effort and consistency in a post-game interview.
“I thought our defensive urgency was pretty good,” O’Connor said. “Credit to Elkhorn. They hit some big shots and they shot the ball well. But I thought our defensive urgency was really good.”
He also highlighted the importance of rebounding: “I think that’s definitely going to be a big thing. You know, a lot of times we might not be the tallest team out on the floor, and so we have to have a lot of urgency on the rebounding end.”
O’Connor credited the team’s preparation and respect for opponents in maintaining their perfect record: “We just have a lot of respect for teams like Elkhorn and the EMC and the teams on our schedule. You don’t necessarily focus on who you’re playing as much as trying to get better every single day.”
Leading scorers for Bennington included Skylar Johnson with 13 points, along with Harper Bohaboj (13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals). Macie Reiner and Haydin Jackson each added 10 points.
The win extended Bennington’s winning streak and reinforced their focus heading into the final stretch of the season.
Boys’ Game: Bennington 69, Elkhorn 45
The Bennington boys (11-6) jumped out to a hot start, outscoring Elkhorn 24-12 in the first quarter behind six three-pointers. They maintained momentum throughout, leading by double digits at halftime and pulling away in the second half.
Coach Luke Olson noted the team’s early shooting success but emphasized their intent to attack inside: “We wanted to attack inside early. We just happened to come across some shots and our guys got a good rhythm and they can shoot for sure. We wanted to definitely set a tone inside. And I thought we did a better job in the middle quarters.”
Coming off a tough loss to Norris last week, Olson credited a solid week of practice and defensive tone-setting: “We had a good week of practice… Our guys were able to see some things on film. They did a really good job of coming in here and setting the tone defensively. And then when you set it defensively, a lot of times the shots fall for us.”
Blaze Jung delivered a standout performance, leading Bennington with 15 points, adding 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and strong defense. Coach Olson lauded his all-around impact: “He’s good, getting better… He’s just a good player.”
Other contributors included Landon McCarville (11 points), Jonas Neuverth (10 points), Brady Nichols (9 points), and Jax Gifford (9 points). The team shared the ball effectively with 24 assists and shot well from beyond the arc (16 made threes).
O’Connor was particularly pleased with the defense: “I think I was probably more happy with how we played on the defense, man.”
With road games ahead, he sees the win as a learning opportunity: “It’s a road win… We have a lot of road games coming up, so you learn how to come on the road and you have to win on the road with defense and rebounding. I thought we did a good job of that tonight, so we got to learn from that.”
Both Bennington teams demonstrated resilience after recent competitive games against Norris, using strong practices and defensive focus to secure road victories at Elkhorn. The sweeps highlight their potential as the season enters its final month.
