The boys basketball Metro Conference Tournament rolled on Monday with four consolation games and four quarterfinals at the Bellevue West Thunderdome, and it’s a day many basketball fans in Nebraska won’t soon forget.
Let’s dive right in with the biggest stars from the day.
Game of the Year?
We have to start with the night cap, which already has a stranglehold on the “game of the season” title before the calendar even turns to 2025.
In the highest-scoring game in Metro Conference Tournament history, the seventh-seeded Millard South Patriots knocked off the second-seeded Bellevue West Thunderbirds on their own court, 104-101 in triple-overtime. That bested the previous record for total points scored by 11. Both teams led by as much as 12 at one point, but neither side led by more than one or two possessions for the final 15 minutes or so of game time.
Bellevue West had numerous chances to secure the win throughout regulation and the overtimes, but Millard South kept battling and finally broke through on a bank shot at the final buzzer.
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The one who delivered the game-winner was junior guard Jett Thomalla, capping a masterful performance with a 3-pointer off the glass to prevent a fourth overtime. The 6-foot-4 junior recorded his first career triple-double, totaling 23 points on 9-of-11 from the field including 3-of-3 from deep (with two banks) and 2-of-2 from the foul line (which came at the end of the first overtime to tie the game). He added 12 rebounds (four offensive) and 10 assists.
Thomalla took over in the second overtime, scoring all nine of his team’s points. The game-winner was the only shot he took in the third overtime, but he rose up with confidence and knocked it down.
Thomalla was one of six Patriots in double figures. Sophomore forward Carter Margheim totaled 19 points, six rebounds and three assists. Senior Tyler Albert added 18 points including five in the third overtime, knocking down four 3-pointers in the game. Juniors Koby Meyers and Owen Anderson chipped in 14 and 12 points, respectively.
The Patriots are still without junior Isaac Jensen, a 6-foot-6 stretch forward who should return from a football injury in January. He was the team’s leading scorer a year ago (following Will Cooper’s season-ending injury) and should make Millard South even more formidable down the stretch of the season. For now, though, they’ll look to earn a spot in the Metro finals on Tuesday.
As for the Thunderbirds, they’ll likely be kicking themselves for a while for letting the game slip away, but it should prove as a valuable learning experience for a very young team.
Senior Robby Garcia, the team’s only returning starter from last year’s title-winning squad, finished with 29 points and 14 rebounds while a trio of sophomores showed the future is bright for the Thunderbirds.
Bryce Johnson has proven to be a stat sheet stuffer in his first season as a starter, totaling 21 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Backcourt mate Brayden Mauro matched him with 21 points on 7-of-10 from deep. Jacob Coyer, a 6-foot-2 wing, made some big plays in the final two overtimes to finish with 14 points on 5-of-7 from the field (1-of-1 from deep) and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line while playing some tough interior defense.
Other Quarterfinal Stars
Omaha Westside JR Emre Gedik, SR Carson Healy and FR Lee Robinson
Westside’s depth continues to carry the Warriors as a different senior stepped up to join two of the first-round stars in Gedik and Robinson.
Gedik, a 6-foot-6 forward, is Westside’s leading scorer on the season and added to that lead on Monday, totaling 22 points while connecting on all three of his 3-point attempts and seven of his eleven free throws while securing six rebounds and two steals. His perimeter shooting was key as the rest of the team went 2-for-10 from deep.
Robinson, a 6-foot freshman point guard, notched his second double-double of the tournament with 19 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and five steals. He went 13-for-15 from the foul line, the second time this season he’s earned double-digit attempts at the stripe. He attacked the rim relentlessly in the second half while continuing to wreak havoc on defense, both at the point of attack and in help.
After Tyson Odvody stepped up to score 19 in the first round, fellow senior Carson Healy poured in 19 off the bench in the quarterfinals. He shot 6-of-10 from the field, connecting on his only 3-point attempt and six of his seven free throws. On a day when only five Warriors scored, Healy’s shot-making off the bench proved to be pivotal in the 74-60 win over Omaha North.
Omaha North JRs Jerri’on Williams and Ban Yor
Williams, a junior guard, poured in 51 points on good efficiency in his two Metro Conference Tournament games. He finished with a game-high 28 points on 11-of-19 from the field (3-of-6 from 3) and 3-of-6 from the foul line on Monday. The 6-foot-3 guard hit some tough shots from beyond the arc and the mid-range area in addition to converting at the rim at a good rate, and he scored all 10 of North’s points in the fourth.
Williams scored 16 in the first half as well before running into foul trouble in the third, but Yor stepped up while he was on the bench. The 6-foot-4 wing scored 16 of his 21 in the third, hitting three straight 3s to get the Vikings back in the game after Westside had started to create some separation.
Omaha Creighton Prep SR Trinell Parker and JR Cooper Knight
Omaha Westview is a long and talented team, but Prep’s pressure zone defense and this duo’s production on offense was enough to pull out a 60-57 victory and hand the Wolverines their first loss of the season.
Parker has been the focal point of the Prep offense all year and he continued that on Monday with 18 points on 9-of-13 shooting plus five boards and two blocks. The 6-foot-9 senior has a vast arsenal of moves on the block that make him tough to defend one-on-one. He scored 12 of his 18 in the second half to lead the Junior Jays to victory.
Knight, a junior guard, also got the Junior Jays off to a fast start with 10 of his 17 in the first period, connecting on all four of his shot attempts. He added a big 3-pointer in the fourth quarter and finished 7-for-9 from the field including 3-for-4 from deep. When starting point guard Torran Carter-Brown got into foul trouble, Knight had to step in and help run the offense as well.
Papillion-La Vista South SR Bryson Bahl
The Titans were in control against Millard North, up 54-48 heading into the fourth quarter, when their offense abandoned them. The third-seeded Mustangs opened the final frame with a 13-2 run to take a five-point lead with 80 seconds to play.
A Jayden Herrera layup cut the gap to three, then Papio South forced a turnover to get the ball back with 30.4 to play. From there, the South Dakota State signee did the rest. The Titans moved the ball around until they found Bahl in the corner, and the senior knocked down a 3-pointer plus a foul to take the lead with 15.7 to play.
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The sixth-seeded Titans got a stop and Bahl added a pair of free throws to secure the 64-61 upset and finish with 33 points for the second straight game. He shot 9-of-18 from the field including 4-of-9 from 3 and 11-of-12 from the foul line while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.
Bahl has now topped 30 points in five of his seven games and is shooting 55% from the field, 41% from 3 and 87% from the foul line.
Herrera, a fellow senior, added 13 points including three 3-pointers and the fourth-quarter layup, six rebounds and three assists to send the Titans to the semifinals.
Consolation Game Standouts
The consolation half of the day featured two games that went down to the wire and some incredible individual performances.
Millard West SR Reece Carson, SR Carter LaBorde and SO Cade Walker
In a battle between a balanced attack and isolation offense, the Wildcats pulled out a 76-74 win over Omaha Buena Vista with this trio leading the way.
Carson scored 10 of his 21 in the final period as Millard West trailed by two heading into the period. He shot 6-of-11 for the game including 4-of-7 from deep and 5-of-8 from the line. Carson has a quick release and deep range and was ready to fire whenever he had space, which was key on a day when his teammates had a tough time knocking down shots (everyone else was a combined 2-of-9 from 3).
While Carson took over late, LaBorde was a steady presence throughout the game when he wasn’t dealing with foul trouble. He finished with 17 points on 7-of-11 from the field (1-of-1 from 3) and 2-of-5 from the line, nine rebounds (five offensive), five assists, three blocks and a steal. The 6-foot-5 senior used his length and athleticism to make plays all over the floor.
Finally, after a quiet first three quarters, Walker came up big in the fourth to double his point total and finish with a double-double. The 6-foot-6 forward totaled 14 points and 11 rebounds, including four on the offensive end. He made all three of his shots from the field and split a pair of free throws in the fourth quarter.
Omaha Buena Vista SR L.C. Doss III
Millard West got the victory, but Doss became the second player of the tournament to drop 40 after Omaha Westview senior Tayvin Zephier-Murphy did so in the first round. The senior guard finished with 41 points on 13-of-18 from the field (2-of-3 from 3) and 13-of-15 from the foul line.
Doss got into the paint on a consistent basis, using his strong frame to draw contact and create opportunities to finish around the rim. He scored three, nine, 10 and 22 (of Buena Vista’s 24) in the four quarters. Doss capped his performance with a halfcourt shot at the buzzer that fell, though the Bison were down five at the time.
Omaha Benson JR Goanar Bamach
The Bunnies pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback, and Bamach was the one who led the charge. He finished with 27 points on 10-of-18 from the field (3-of-7 from 3) and 4-of-4 from the line, eight rebounds, seven blocks and four steals.
Bamach scored 10 of his 27 in the fourth as Benson outscored Elkhorn South 23-12 to secure an 80-73 victory. He knocked down three triples in the first quarter then did all his work in the paint late, and defensively he was a menace throughout, protecting the rim with his length and athleticism.
