Class A and B girls district semifinals tipped off Wednesday with 28 games across 14 districts. The top seeds made a statement — and the bracket is shaping up exactly the way the ratings predicted, with a few notable exceptions. Here’s your daily recap.
Upset of the Day
No. 19 Elkhorn North 59, No. 10 Omaha Gross Catholic 39 — District B-3
The biggest rating upset of the night. Elkhorn North entered as an 8-point underdog by rating and didn’t just win — they dominated, taking it by 20. Gross Catholic’s district run is over in the semifinal round. Elkhorn North advances to face No. 3 Lincoln Pius X in the B-3 final.
Upsets to Know
No. 14 Waverly 44, No. 11 Adams Central 33 — District B-1
Waverly held Adams Central to 33 points in a defensive grind and advances to face No. 2 Norris in the district final. Adams Central, a team that entered with 20+ wins, is done.
No. 17 Northwest 37, No. 12 York 27 — District B-4
The lowest-scoring game of the night. Northwest locked York down to just 27 points and pulled the upset to earn a matchup with No. 5 Gretna East in the B-4 final.
Closest Call
No. 8 Papillion-LaVista 41, No. 15 Papillion-La Vista South 37 — District A-4
The only game decided by fewer than six points all night. The crosstown rivals lived up to the billing in the tightest game of the district semifinals. Papio advances to face No. 4 Millard West, who rolled past Omaha Northwest 77-22.
Bennington Keeps Rolling
No. 1 Bennington 82, Nebraska City 23 — District B-2
The state’s lone undefeated Class B team improved to 24-0 with a 59-point dismantling. Bennington has now won every game this season by double digits and shows no signs of slowing down heading into the district final against No. 13 Crete.
Top Seeds Cruising
It was a chalk night across the board. Every top-7 seed in both Class A and B advanced, most by comfortable margins. No. 1 Lincoln North Star won 60-16 in A-1. No. 2 Omaha North scored 83 in A-2. No. 4 Millard West put up 77 in A-4. The average victory margin across all 28 games was over 28 points — the favorites made it look easy.
District Finals Preview
The district final matchups are now set for Class A and B (Mar. 2-3). Watch for the full preview post coming soon with ratings-based breakdowns of every district final.
By the Numbers
28 district semifinal games | 3 upsets by rating | 1 game decided by fewer than 6 points | 28.5 average victory margin | Biggest blowout: Bennington 82, Nebraska City 23 (B-2, +59)
All ratings from the NebPreps Computer Ratings.
