48 teams will embark on journey to Lincoln for state tournament.
By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
Class A
A-1 at Millard North: Lincoln Southeast 62, Papillion-LaVista South 45
Lincoln Southeast, unbeaten against Class A competition this season, rolled to a resounding victory to qualify for its 22nd state tournament appearance. Marissa Kastenek scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Knights (23-1). Katie Birkel added 12 points to pace Southeast, who were without starter KK Houser due to an illness. Andrea Ahrendt scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Titans (11-13).
A-2 at Bellevue East: Millard West 63, Lincoln Southwest 36
Jasmin Corbin scored 21 points to lead Millard West to its sixth state tournament appearance since the turn of the century. Heather Pohl and Courtney Janacek both scored 12 points to pace the Wildcats (22-1) in the rout. Pohl added 14 rebounds. Maggie Packard scored 10 points to lead the Silver Hawks (10-13).
A-3 at Omaha North: Papillion-LaVista 47, Millard North 44
Amy Monson scored 18 points Papillion-LaVista upset Millard North in the A-3 District title game. Freshman Chelsea Albers added 12 points for Papillion-LaVista (13-9). The Monarchs used a 1-3-1 trapping press, making life for Millard North’s 6-7 junior Melissa MacFarlane difficult. MacFarlane was held to eight points. Kiley Herold scored 16 points to lead the Mustangs (19-4), who will still go to the state tournament as a wildcard.
A-4 at Lincoln East: Bellevue East 40, Millard South 35
Bellevue East made only one second half field goal and hit only 11-of-32 from the free throw line, but held on. Mercedees Morgan scored 12 points for the Chieftains. Two Millard South players scored seven points as its season came to an end.
A-5 at Lincoln High: Omaha Marian 54, Lincoln East 52
Omaha Marian withstood a late surge by the Spartans to assure its 24th tournament berth, all under head coach Jim Miller. The Crusaders rolled to a 19-2 lead after the first quarter and expanded their advantage to 40-15 at halftime before holding on. Victoria McIntyre hit 8-of-10 from the floor to lead Marian (16-8) with 18 points. Clarissa Tokheim added 16 for the Crusaders. Breanna Fosdick led Lincoln East with 13 points in the loss.
A-6 at Papillion-LaVista South: Omaha Westside 57, Bellevue West 56
It may not have been the same style of play that produced a state-record 189 points between the two teams like nine days earlier, but Omaha Westside still has Bellevue West’s number. Shelly Martin scored 17 points to lead the Warriors (17-8), while Sarah Nelson added 15 points and 14 rebounds. Bellevue West freshman Alexis Akin-Otiko had a chance to win it 1.8 seconds remaining, but missed a pair of free throws. Emily Hauder scored 15 points and added nine rebounds for the Thunderbirds.
A-7 at Hastings: Kearney 34, Grand Island 27
Kearney’s Maggie Maher scored 15 points as the Bearcats qualified for their first trip to Lincoln since 1997. Kearney’s victory over its rival was the third this season. Ashley Arp added eight points and 10 rebounds for Kearney (21-3). Ariel Krolikowski scored 12 points for the Islanders in the loss. (Check out video highlights from the Kearney Hub here)
State Tournament Pairings
Feb. 28 at Bob Devaney Sports Center
2:00 p.m.- Millard West (22-1) vs. Omaha Marian (16-8)
3:45 p.m.- Omaha Westside (17-8) vs. Kearney (21-3)
7:00 p.m.- Papillion-LaVista (13-9) vs. Lincoln Southeast (23-1)
8:45 p.m.- Bellevue East (21-5) vs. Millard North (19-4)
Hansen’s Projections (*Wildcard)
Lincoln Southeast, Millard West, Millard North, Bellevue East, Omaha Marian, Omaha Westside, Kearney, Lincoln East* (7 out of 8)
Class B
B-1 at Lincoln Southeast: Beatrice 46, Lincoln Pius X 37
In one of the biggest upsets in the state, Beatrice’s Daleigh Fossler scored 16 points to lead her team to the state tournament for the first time since a pair of back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2006. Beatrice (12-9) hit 16-of-29 from the field in the victory. Mollie Lacy scored 13 points for the Thunderbolts (16-3) in the loss. Lincoln Pius X will still play in the state tournament, earning a wildcard.
B-2 at Omaha Westside: Gretna 41, Omaha Gross 31
The deep freeze that effected school closings last week held over to the B-2 final, apparently. Gretna shot 16 percent from the field in the first half and hit just four field goals in the first 22 minutes. The Dragons earned their berth to state by catching fire in the fourth quarter with 10 unanswered points. Carissa Gregory scored 16 points for Gretna (16-6) in the victory. Jourdan Madriga scored 13 points to lead Omaha Gross (15-7), who hit just 10 field goals in the game.
B-3 at Fremont: South Sioux City 65, Elkhorn 59
In a meeting against two of the top teams in the entire state, South Sioux City took one step closer to returning to its domination of Class B, and at the same time got some revenge. Against the team that last season kept the Cardinals out of state for the first time in 14 years, South Sioux City survived behind 25 points from McKayla Knudson. South Sioux City (21-1) shot 7-of-9 from behind the three-point arc, led by Molly Fuchser’s perfect night in three attempts. Elkhorn (20-2) is still headed to state thanks to a wildcard. Tara Roach and Brittany Lynch both scored 17 points to lead the Antlers.
B-4 at Lincoln North Star: Gretna 62, Crete 37
Seward advancing to the state tournament was not a surprise; the surprise is how they did it. In an emphatic blowout, Seward pounded Crete in the B-4 District final in Lincoln. Despite 6-4 sophomore Alyssa Kamphouse and 6-2 freshman Emily Cady suffering early foul trouble, Seward rolled. Mallory Suhr scored 17 points as the Bluejays (20-1) shot 57 percent from the field in the victory. All-State guard Kate Edwards scored 17 points for Crete (18-4) in the loss.
B-5 at University of Nebraska-Kearney: Holdrege 55, Lexington 39
Mallory Murdoch scored 15 points, as Holdrege will make its fifth state tournament appearance in school history. Danielle Clayton chipped in with 12 points for the Dusters (22-1) in the victory. Lexington’s sister act of Hailey and Hannah Mandelko fared better than Holdrege’s pair of Tessa and Tabitha Kreutzer. The Mandelko sisters combined for 33 points, led by Hailey’s 17 for the Minutemaids (12-9). The Kreutzer’s both scored eight points for Holdrege.
B-6 at Scottsbluff: Alliance 43, Sidney 41
Normally, a 45-game winning streak a district title for the defending Class B champions would be the story. Instead, Alliance has turned into a Nebraska panhandle version of the ‘Cardiac Kids’. Lindsay Briggs hit a driving lay-up at the buzzer to allow Alliance to squeak past Sidney. Sidney took a 41-38 lead with 32 seconds remaining, putting the streak in serious jeopardy. Jasmine Clarke answered for Alliance, canning a triple of her own with 15 ticks remaining on the scoreboard. Jordan Hooper grabbed the rebound from Sidney’s attempt at the go-ahead bucket and fired an outlet pass to Briggs, who drove Alliance back to state with her lay-up. Alliance has won eight games by less than 10 points this season, including four out of its last six. (For the Alliance Times-Herald video of the final 59 seconds, click here.)
State Tournament Pairings
Feb. 28 at Bob Devaney Sports Center
9:00 a.m.- Gretna (16-6) vs. South Sioux City (21-1)
10:45 a.m.- Elkhorn (20-2) vs. Seward (20-1)
At Pershing Center
7:00 p.m.- Beatrice (12-9) vs. Alliance (23-0)
8:45 p.m.- Holdrege (21-2) vs. Lincoln Pius X (16-3)
Hansen’s Projections (*Wildcard)
Lincoln Pius X, Gretna, South Sioux City, Crete, Holdrege, Alliance, Elkhorn*, Seward* (7 out of 8)
Class C1
C1-1 at Lincoln Southwest: Milford 50, Johnson County Central 42
- Freshman Taylor Moore scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Milford.
C1-2 at Midland College (Fremont): Wahoo Neumann 57, Ashland-Greenwood 35
- Megan Meduna scored led a balanced Neumann attack with 10 points.
C1-3 at West Point-Beemer: Norfolk Catholic 55, Bennington 39
-Nicole Brungardt hit six three-point buckets and scored 20 points to lead the Lady Knights.
C1-4 at Grand Island Central Catholic: Minden 54, Columbus Lakeview 31
- Ann Ahrens scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as Minden got back to the state tournament for the first time since 1990.
C1-5 at Neligh-Oakdale: Crofton 52, Ord 28
C1-6 at Valentine: Hershey 55, Gordon-Rushville 27
- Hershey gets back to Lincoln for the first time since 1995.
State Tournament Pairings
At Pershing Center
9:00 a.m.- Fairbury (16-4) vs. Crofton (22-1)
10:45 a.m.- Wahoo Neumann (20-2) vs. Milford (20-3)
2:00 p.m.- Norfolk Catholic (21-1) vs. Kearney Catholic (17-6)
3:45 p.m.- Hershey (17-4) vs. Minden (20-2)
Hansen’s Projections (*Wildcard)
Milford, Wahoo Neumann, Norfolk Catholic, Minden, Crofton, Hershey, Fairbury*, Kearney Catholic* (8 out of 8)
Class C2
C2-1 at Fairbury: Sutton 46, Humboldt-TR-S 31
- Jamie VanKirk scored 19 points, including four three-point buckets, for the Mustangs.
C2-2 at Wahoo: East Butler 59, Malcolm 38
- Marissa Bongers scored 21 points to lead East Butler.
C2-3 at Dana College (Blair): West Point Central Catholic 45, Oakland-Craig 35
- Kristine Ortmeier scored 13 points to lead West Point Central Catholic to its 11th straight state tournament appearance.
C2-4 at Norfolk: Elkhorn Valley 59, Laurel-Concord 46
- Katie Rich scored 23 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and rejected four shots to lead Elkhorn Valley to state for the second straight year.
C2-5 at Lexington: Cambridge 49, Ravenna 46 (OT)
- Cambridge just barely remained unbeaten. Traci Keyser scored 22 points to lead Cambridge.
C2-6 at Creek Valley (Chappell): Perkins County 59, Bridgeport 46
State Tournament Pairings
At Lincoln Southwest
2:00 p.m.- Perkins County (21-0) vs. Elkhorn Valley (20-4)
3:45 p.m.- East Butler (21-2) vs. West Point Central Catholic (20-3)
7:00 p.m.- Cambridge (22-0) vs. Grand Island Central Catholic (16-7)
8:45 p.m.- Elmwood-Murdock (18-4) vs. Sutton (21-1)
Hansen’s Projections (*Wildcard)
Sutton, East Butler, West Point CC, Elkhorn Valley, Cambridge, Perkins County, Elmwood-Murdock*, Grand Island CC* (8 out of 8)
Class D1
D1-1 at Seward: Meridian 46, Mead 28
- Meridian’s Michell Dutton scored 13 points. Mead was held to just 10 first half points.
D1-2 at Adams Central (Hastings): Lawrence-Nelson 44, Kenesaw 38
- MacKenzie McCarthy scored 13 points to lead Lawrence-Nelson to the state tournament.
D1-3 at Columbus: Elgin Pope John 64, Osceola 22
- Paige Dinslage canned four three-point buckets and led all scorers with 19 points.
D1-4 at Battle Creek: Bancroft-Rosalie 55, West Boyd 43
D1-5 at Gothenburg: Arapahoe 55, Arnold 25
- Cheryl Braithwait scored 27 points to lead Arapahoe.
D1-6 at Ogallala: Hay Springs 44, Eustis-Farnam 42 (OT)
- Ashton Hughes sank a three-pointer at the buzzer to become an instant legend, leading Hay Springs to its first-ever state tournament appearance.
State Tournament Pairings
At Lincoln North Star
9:00 a.m.- Hay Springs (17-5) vs. Elgin Pope John (23-2)
10:45 a.m.- Meridian (18-5) vs. Humphrey (19-3)
2:00 p.m.- Lawrence-Nelson (15-8) vs. Bancroft-Rosalie (24-0)
3:45 p.m.- Arapahoe (19-6) vs. Humphrey St. Francis (15-5)
Hansen’s Projections (*Wildcard)
Meridian, Kenesaw, Elgin Pope John, Bancroft-Rosalie, Arapahoe, Eustis-Farnam, Humphrey*, Humphrey St. Francis* (7 out of 8)
Class D2
D2-1 at Wilber-Clatonia: Falls City Sacred Heart 61, Giltner 44
- Katelyn Wheeler scored 12 of her 18 points in the decisive fourth quarter for Sacred Heart..
D2-2 at Fullerton: North Loup-Scotia 54, Lindsay Holy Family 46
- Kelli Hermsmeyer scored 23 points for North Loup-Scotia in the victory.
D2-3 at Crofton: Coleridge 44, Lynch 39
- Taylor Olson’s bucket with 1:32 remaining gave Coleridge the lead for good. Olson scored 17 points to lead Coleridge.
D2-4 at Stuart: Chambers 57, Rock County 27
D2-5 at Cozad: Pleasanton 64, Maywood 33
Laurel Zwiener, a 6-4 sophomore, had 15 blocks to lead Pleasanton.
D2-6 at Sutherland: Mullen 52, Potter-Dix 37
- Mullen enters the state tournament with a perfect 21-0 record, led by Taylor Putergill’s 20 points.
State Tournament Pairings
At Lincoln Southwest
9:00 a.m.- Falls City Sacred Heart (23-1) vs. Coleridge (20-3)
10:45 a.m.- North Loup-Scotia (22-1) vs. Ewing (20-3)
At Lincoln North Star
7:00 p.m.- Pleasanton (22-1) vs. Sioux County (19-2)
8:45 p.m.- Mullen (21-0) vs. Chambers (22-2)
Hansen’s Projections (*Wildcard)
Falls City Sacred Heart, North-Loup Scotia, Coleridge, Chambers, Pleasanton, Mullen, Ewing*, Sioux County* (8 out of 8)
Coming Wednesday: The Girls State Tournament Preview Special
