The 2025 NSAA Boys Basketball State Championship rolled on Thursday at Pinnacle Bank Arena and the Devaney Center with the Class D2, Class C2 and Class B quarterfinals.
Class D2
No. 1 O’Neill St. Mary’s 50, No. 8 Silver Lake 34
The top seed advanced to the semifinals with a strong defensive showing, holding Silver Lake to 26.7% from the field.
Sophomore Logan Brabec led the Cardinals with 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. Junior Gage Hedstrom, an NEBPreps Class D2 Player of the Year finalist, added 13 point and seven rebounds. They knocked down three triples apiece, while Silver Lake only hit four as a team.
The Cardinals knocked down four 3s in the first quarter to jump out to a nine-point lead after one then held the Mustangs to 1-for-10 from the field and four points in the third to extend the lead to 19 heading into the fourth.
The Mustangs pulled within 12 a couple times in the fourth, but that’s as close as they got as the Cardinals soared into the semifinals.
Senior Paxton Sorensen led Silver Lake with 12 points on 3-of-3 from the field and 6-of-7 from the foul line.
“Our guys, they love to get out and run. We have the best guards in D2.”
St. Mary’s coach @LBulau joined @Austin2Jacobsen after the Cardinals’ 50-34 quarterfinal win over No. 8 Silver Lake. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/3DGI3l2cRX
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 13, 2025
No. 4 Humphrey Archangels Catholic 61, No. 5 Stuart 59
Archangels Catholic pulled off the biggest rally of a quarterfinal round defined by them, closing the game on a 16-0 run in the final two and a half minutes to secure the two-point victory.
Stuart missed its last four shots and turned the ball over seven times in the last 3:12 of the game as Archangel ramped up its pressure to get back in the game.
Junior Tucker Czarnick kept the Defenders afloat early with 14 of his team-high 20 points in the first half. He shot 7-of-12 from the field (2-of-3 from 3) and 4-of-6 from the line overall while grabbing seven rebounds and four steals. Sophomore Gavin Geilenkirchen chipped in 11 points and two steals off the bench, with nine of his points coming in the fourth quarter to key the comeback.
The game featured 50 fouls, 59 free throws and 39 turnovers.
The Defenders’ extended 1-3-1 one gave Stuart all kinds of problems early. The Broncos fell behind 20-10 in the second quarter after missing eight of their first 10 shots and turning the ball over 10 times.
However, something clicked for Stuart late as the Broncos scored on eight of their last nine possessions — putting together an 11-0 run at one point — to take a 27-26 lead at halftime.
The teams traded runs in the third quarter. Stuart scored six straight to take a five-point lead, Archangels responded with a 9-0 run, then the Broncos responded with their own 9-0 spurt to jump back in front. Devon Baumgart ended the last run with a 3 for the Defenders, but Stuart countered with a three-point play from Kayde Ramm to end the fourth.
The Broncos carried that momentum in the final period and opened with an 8-2 run to extend the lead to 11. A bucket from hunter Tubbs gave Stuart a 59-45 lead with just over three to play, and then the wheels came off.
Ramm led everyone with 29 points on 10-of-14 from the field (3-of-5 from 3) and 6-of-6 from the line, seven rebounds and four steals. Tubbs added 19 points and five rebounds before fouling out just prior to the comeback’s start. Ramm was the only Stuart starter who didn’t foul out.
Archangels Catholic will take on No. 1 O’Neill St. Mary’s in Friday’s semifinals, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. at the Devaney Center.
“To see us flip the script and being able to do it and finish strong is gratifying.”
Archangels Catholic coach Eric Kessler joined @Austin2Jacobsen following the Defenders’ fourth quarter comeback in their 61-59 quarterfinal win over Stuart. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/zegIgbQcdm
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 13, 2025
Other results at Devaney:
>> No. 2 Wausa 61, No. 7 Fullerton 33: Wausa poured in 23 points to create separation and kept the Fullerton offense in check throughout to advance to the semifinals. The Vikings held the Warriors to 17% shooting. Junior Preston Schlote led the way with 19 points and 13 rebounds.
>> No. 3 Wynot 60, No. 6 Elgin Public/Pope John 53: The Blue Devils broke a 37-all tie with a 7-0 run to close out the third quarter then maintained a cushion throughout the fourth to earn a trip to the semifinals. Junior Kotner Koch led the way with 15 points and three steals, junior Justin Heimes added 13 points, 10 rebounds and three steals and junior Killian Steinhaus chipped in 11 points and five boards. Junior Jarek Erickson went off for 27 points and 13 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough for the Wolfpack.
No. 6 Elgin Public/Pope John will face No. 2 Wausa in the semifinals on Friday with the tipoff set for 7:45 p.m. at the Devaney Center.
Class B
No. 1 Norris 52, No. 8 Lincoln Pius X 49
One of the greatest shots in Nebraska state tournament history catapulted Norris into the semifinals to begin the afternoon session at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
The top-seeded Titans, last year’s runners-up, found themselves trailing by six with a minute and a half to play, by four with 23.8 to go and by three with 12.5 to go, but junior Macoy Folkerts knocked down a 3 from just in front of the halfcourt logo to tie it up with 3.2 to play.
Pius X called a timeout to stop the clock and leave time for a potential game-winner. However, the deep in-bounds pass sailed a bit wide and its intended receiver tossed the ball towards the basket to keep it from going out along the sideline. It went right to Norris senior Barret Boesiger, however.
Boesiger, the Titans’ career scoring leader and one of the best 3-point shooters in the state, was 0-for-1 on the day at that point and hadn’t scored as the Thunderbolts ran a chaser zone and face-guarded him all game. Boesiger took two dribbles and let it fly from the Pius 3-point line — right into the basket for his only points and the game-winner.
.@barretboesiger HITS THE GAME WINNER FROM THE OPPONENTS THREE POINT LINE!#nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/3Crikrs1OA
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 13, 2025
The officials reviewed the shot, adding suspense, but ultimately determined it was good — just barely.
“I guess we’re the cardiac cats,” Norris coach Jimmy Motz said. “We talked about that; we have nine lives, and we used eight of them.”
In addition to the shot for the tie in the final seconds, Folkerts hit another deep 3 with 1;18 to play after Pius had broken a tie with a 6-0 run. Folkerts finished with nine points on 3-of-6 from deep.
“He’s been known as Mr. March, because he’s hit a lot of big shots the last three years,” Motz said. “He did it last year in the first round. The one he stuck here to tie it was huge. District final two years ago, he sent us here. He just makes plays and was confident to let it fly.”
Pius shot 2-for-8 from the free-throw line in the last 30 seconds to leave the door open, and the Titans barged right through.
Junior Chris Garner Jr. was the only Titan in double figures with 14 points. Norris outscored Pius by 18 from the 3-point line (8-of-24 compared to 2-of-4 for the Bolts).
After a slow start (3-of-14 shooting with five turnovers in the first quarter), Norris opened the second period with a 15-2 run before taking a 22-16 lead into halftime.
The senior duo of Parker Kelly and Kolbe Volkmer took over in the third, scoring seven points apiece to take the lead back for the Titans, but Norris went into the fourth up by two. The teams went back and forth in the fourth until the Thunderbolts went on their 6-0 run that preceded the Titan rally.
Kelly finished with a game-high 19 points on 8-of-11 from the field including 1-of-1 from deep. Volkmer added 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting off the bench.
“I’ve been doing this 18 years. I played Division I basketball, played high school basketball. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like I just witnessed.”
Norris coach @JimmyMotz joined @Austin2Jacobsen after the @TitanHoops160 52-49 win over No. 8 Lincoln Pius X. #nebpreps… pic.twitter.com/4uuNdWKEip
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 13, 2025
No. 4 Skutt Catholic 71, No. 5 DC West 31
The reigning Class B champion began its repeat bid with a dominant showing, triggering a running clock in the final minutes of the 40-point victory.
The SkyHawks outscored the Falcons 22-7 in the first quarter then opened the second with a 9-0 run to push the lead past 20, and the SkyHawks continued to extend it the rest of the way.
Skutt shot 51.9% from the field including 40% from 3 as four starters scored in double figures. The SkyHawks’ size and activity were too much for the Falcons as Skutt scored 20 second-chance points on 12 offensive rebounds.
Senior Dylan Van Dyke led the way with 14 points on 5-of-6 from the field (3-of-4 from 3) and 1-of-2 from the line. Junior Eddie Linderman added 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting (3-of-7 from 3). Junior Geroge Ziebell recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes. Senior Kyle Cannon chipped in 11 points and five as well.
Junior Nolan Asher and senior Will Bergsten led DC West with 11 points apiece.
Skutt will face No. 1 Norris in a semifinal rematch of last year’s title game. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. on Friday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
“Anything they threw at us we were ready for.”
Skutt Catholic’s @ziebellgeorge joined @Austin2Jacobsen following the SkyHawks’ 71-31 Class B quarterfinal win over No. 5 DC West. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/XjPtLAr013
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 13, 2025
No. 2 Scottsbluff 65, No. 7 Gretna East 60
The Bearcats overcame a 17-point deficit and got a clutch bucket from junior Nate Kelley late to earn their second-straight trip to the state semifinals.
Nursing a two-point lead late, Scottsbluff put the ball in Kelley’s hands, and the junior point guard delivered. He dribbled the clock down, spun past his defender, elevated off two feet and converted a tough layup with 1 second on the shot clock and 15 on the game clock.
On the other end, Gretna East missed a 3 but converted a put-back and called timeout with 0.6 to go. The Griffins committed a couple fouls, including an intentional, without any time coming off, allowing the Bearcats to add to their lead at the line before the final buzzer.
Kelley finished with 19 points on 7-of-9 from the field and 5-of-7 from the foul line, six rebounds, five assists and two steals while navigating the final seven minutes with four fouls.
Junior Keon Delgado added 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting and six rebounds. Junior Rylee Meininger added 11 points on 2-of-4 from 3 and 5-of-5 from the line with two steals. Sophomore Tre Boswell finished with 11 as well including nine of Scottsbluff’s 21 in the fourth quarter.
The Bearcats won despite finishing 3-of-14 from 3 by going 16-of-21 from the foul line and 20-of-27 inside the arc.
It didn’t look good for the Bearcats early. Gretna East led 17-7 in the first before five straight to end it from Scottsbluff, then the Griffins opened the second with a 12-0 run. Gretna East went 8-for-9 from the field with four 3s during a seven-minute stretch to build the 29-12 lead.
Scottsblfuff finally found its offense, making five straight shots to pull within eight, but Gretna East scored the last four of the half to take a 38-26 lead into the locker room.
The second half belonged to the Bearcats, however. Scottsbluff used a 12-0 run to pull within two, then the teams traded mini-runs to make it a three-point game heading into the fourth.
Scottsbluff opened the fourth quarter with a 14-5 run to take a six-point lead then held on down the stretch thanks in part to Kelley’s heroics.
Sophomore Drayke Brown led Gretna East with 18 points and five assists. Senior Talan Hovie added 13 points, senior Drew Rhoades 11 and sophomore Jake Hawley 11.
“Our guys are competitors and they’re never going to quit.”
Scottsbluff @coachgullion joined @Austin2Jacobsen after the No. 2 Bearcats’ 65-60 quarterfinal win over No. 7 Gretna East. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/EX6iusQx0i
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 14, 2025
No. 6 Elkhorn North 74, No. 3 Wahoo 65
A high-powered, balanced attack carried the Wolves to their first state tournament win in their first appearance.
Four players scored in double figures as Elkhorn North shot 56.1% from the field, 50% from 3 and 77.3% from the free-throw line to knock off the reigning C1 champions in their first season back in Class B.
Junior Sutton Piatkowski led the way with 17 points on 6-of-10 from the field (1-of-2 from 3) and 4-of-4 from the line plus six rebounds. Senior Will Farrington shot 5-for-8 from deep for 15 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists without a turnover. Junior Nike Orgilbold added 15 points on 3-of-6 from the field and 9-of-12 from the line, seven rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Kellen Murphy chipped in 13 points with three triples.
Elkhorn North missed six of its seven 3-point attempts in the first quarter as the Warriors held a one-point lead at the end of the period.
However, the Wolves caught fire from there, shooting 10-for-15 in the final three periods. The Wolves used an 11-2 run including three treys (two by Murphy) to jump out to a seven-point lead midway through the second, and they never trailed again.
The lead hit double figures multiple times in the third before a late Wahoo run made it a five-point game heading into the final period. However, Elkhorn North opened with a 10-4 run including two 3s from Farrington to stretch the lead back to 11, and they managed to close out the game from there.
Senior Dylan Simons led Wahoo with 18 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Freshman Landon Glock provided a big spark early and finished with 14 points while juniors Cody Hesser and Jase Kaminski added 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Elkhorn North will face No. 2 Scottsbluff in the semifinals on Friday. Tipoff is set for 7:45 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
“I just loved how free-flowing they played tonight. They play with such confidence.”
Elkhorn North coach @theAndy_King joined @Austin2Jacobsen after the No. 6 Wolves earned their first state tournament win, 74-65 over No. 3 Wahoo. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/pjV5B5RIMf
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 14, 2025
Class C2
Results from the Devaney Center:
>> No. 8 Archbishop Bergan 51, No. 1 Freeman 49: Bergan pulled off the early shocker of the tournament outscoring 25-1 Freeman 18-5 in the fourth quarter including 10-0 in the last two and a half minutes to pull off the upset. The Falcons led by as much as 12 in the third quarter but turned the ball over eight times in the fourth to open the door. Sophomore Cale Sheets led the way with 22 points on 7-12 shooting (5-of-8 from 3) and 3-of-4 from the line. Junior Gavin Baker added 12 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and three steals including the takeaway that set up the go-ahead free throws with less than 20 seconds to play.
>> No. 4 Summerland 68, No. 5 Exeter-Milligan/Friend 55: EMF jumped out to a 16-9 six minutes into the game, but Summerland scored the last five points of the first period then controlled the action in the last three quarters to earn a spot in the semifinals. Senior Preston Hoke led the way with 20 points, senior Michael Koenig added 18 and senior Alec Schindler chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Grady Bresson led EMF with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Summerland will face No. 8 Archbishop Bergan in Friday’s semifinals with tipoff set for 1:30 p.m. at the Devaney Center.
>> No. 7 West Holt 48, No. 2 Yutan 33: West Holt put on a defensive clinic, holding Yutan to two field goals in the first half and 22.2% shooting overall to claim the Huskies’ first state tournament win since taking home the title in 1988. Senior Zach Hooey led the way with 17 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks.
>> No. 3 Cross County 41, No. 6 Hartington Cedar Catholic 38: With the game tied at 38-all and a minute to go, the Cougars got four straight stops (three turnovers and a missed 3) and made just enough free throws to claim the last spot in the C2 semifinals. Senior Wyatt Hengelfeldt was the only player in double figures, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds and five steals.
Cross Country will take on No. 7 West Holt on Friday at 3:15 p.m. in the Devaney Center.
