The regular season is winding down, and the intensity is ramping up. From a stunning Class B upset to a pair of one-point Class A finishes, last week delivered the kind of games that remind you why the final stretch matters. Here’s what stood out across Nebraska boys basketball from Feb. 16-22.
Biggest Upsets
No. 23 Elkhorn 66, No. 6 Omaha Roncalli Catholic 60 — Class B
The week’s biggest upset by the NebPreps Computer Ratings. Elkhorn carried a 27.9-point rating deficit into this one and came out with a six-point win over one of Class B’s most consistent programs. This result will shake up the district seedings conversation heading into postseason play.
No. 35 Blue Hill 53, No. 10 Grand Island Lutheran 50 — Class D1
Blue Hill knocked off a top-10 D1 team by three in a game that could have sub-district implications. Grand Island Lutheran entered ranked 10th with a 67.74 rating — Blue Hill was 25.9 points lower. That gap didn’t matter on the scoreboard.
No. 45 Kearney Catholic 59, No. 20 Adams Central 52 — Class C1
Kearney Catholic pulled off the C1 upset of the week, going on the road and toppling a 20-win Adams Central team by seven. An 18.4-point rating difference says this wasn’t supposed to happen.
Closest Games
No. 22 Omaha Northwest 49, No. 28 Bellevue East 48 — Class A
One point. Omaha Northwest escaped in a game that came down to the final possession. Two teams in the lower half of the Class A standings fighting for their tournament lives.
No. 10 Lincoln Southeast 69, No. 15 Millard West 68 — Class A
Another one-point Class A thriller. Lincoln Southeast edged Millard West in a 137-point shootout between two teams squarely in the district conversation. Southeast had already fallen to No. 3 Millard North 68-65 earlier in the week — they know how to play in tight ones.
No. 11 Millard South 73, No. 6 Lincoln North Star 71 — Class A
The marquee result of the week. Millard South knocked off sixth-ranked Lincoln North Star by two in a 144-point offensive showcase. North Star entered as the higher-rated team, but Millard South had the answer in a game that has district-round implications written all over it.
Highest-Scoring Games
No. 1 Ogallala 92, No. 24 Gering 53 — Class C1 (145 total points)
Ogallala put up 92 in a statement win over Gering. When you’re the last undefeated team in the state, every game carries extra weight — and the Indians responded with their most dominant offensive performance of the season.
No. 3 Cozad 73, No. 11 McCook 68 — Class C1 (141 total points)
A top-15 matchup that lived up to the billing. Cozad outpaced McCook in a fast-paced affair that could foreshadow a postseason rematch in the C1 bracket.
Undefeated Watch
Ogallala (22-0, Class C1) remains the lone undefeated boys team in Nebraska after two more wins last week. Their rating climbed to 107.07 — the highest in boys basketball across all six classes. Sub-district play begins this week, and the target only gets bigger.
All ratings from the NebPreps Computer Ratings.
