Four teams advanced to the championships of the Metro Holiday Tournament on Tuesday as Omaha Creighton Prep’s Heider Center played host to the girls and boys semifinals.
GIRLS SEMIFINALS
No. 4 Omaha Central 69, No. 8 Omaha Westside 61
The Eagles jumped out to a big lead early, weathered a Warrior rally then kept Westside at an arm’s length the rest of the way to punch their ticket to the final.
The star of the show was Bradley signee Inia Jones. The Central senior followed up her 29-point outing in the quarterfinals with 28 in the semis. She knocked down a pair of triples, converted some impressive shots around the basket and went 10-for-11 from the foul line. When Westside tried to cut into the lead late with some pressure, Jones often beat it herself, taking it all the way for layups and fouls.
Jones got some frontcourt help as well in the form of two double-digit scorers. Senior Lilliana Petersen went to work inside and out, scoring 11 points with a bucket in the post, a 3-pointer and six free throws (on seven attempts). She also corralled a game-high eight rebounds and nabbed three steals. Sophomore Justine Adrienne Tcheuhchoua chipped in 10 points, five boards and three steals off the bench.
The Warriors fell behind by as much as 17 but made it a game again with a 12-0 run spanning the end of the first and start of the second halves. They cut the deficit to five before Central closed the third quarter strong.
The backcourt of junior Kimora Jenkins and senior Kara Stricklin led the way for Westside, combing for 29 of their 61. Jenkins scored 20 on 6-of-10 from the field (2-of-5 from 3) and 6-of-6 from the line. Stricklin added 19 points, going a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line with six rebounds.
The teams combined to shoot 49-of-57 (86%) from the foul line.
Eagles advance!
Omaha Central moves on to the Metro Holiday Tournament championship game after a 69-61 win over Omaha Westside.
Central senior Inia Jones on the win and looking ahead to the championship tomorrow. #nebpreps pic.twitter.com/A2gUaJtQ3Q
— THEnebpreps (@THEnebpreps) January 2, 2024
No. 2 Millard West 61, No. 3 Millard North
Millard West junior Neleigh Gessert (23) attacks the basket for two of her game-high 22 points against Millard North. Photo by Eric Francis
Millard West trailed by one at halftime then ratcheted up the defense in the second, holding the Mustangs to 12 points in the final 16 minutes to turn a tight game into a comfortable win.
Millard West junior Neleigh Gessert put on a show in the first half while her twin sister, Norah, took over in the second for the Wildcats, with Creighton coaches in the crowd. The twins hold offers from the Bluejays and many others.
Neleigh scored 17 of her game-high 22 in the first half. She hit shots from all over the floor including four 3-pointers and some tough shots around the basket. Norah scored 10 of her 16 in the second half, shooting 6-of-10 overall and 4-of-4 from the foul line. She stuffed the stat sheet as well with six boards, six assists and four steals.
Sophomore Izzie Galligan was the only Mustang in double figures with 10 points, six rebounds and three steals.
Central will take on Millard West in the final at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
BOYS SEMIFINALS
No. 8 Omaha Central 51, No. 5 Gretna 47
Omaha Central senior Daleron Thomas followed up his 32-point outing in the quarterfinals with another big game in the semis. Photo by Kyle Byers.
The upset-minded Eagles soared into the finals by taking down Gretna in the first of the boys semifinals Tuesday.
The game was tight throughout until Central senior Daleron Thomas took over in the fourth quarter. He put the Eagles in the driver’s seat and they survived three looks for the tie from Gretna in the final 45 seconds.
Thomas was the only Eagle in double figures and was seemingly involved in every big play in the fourth quarter. He finished with 19 points on 7-of-12 from the field (1-of-2 from 3) and 4-of-7 from the line, scoring nine of those points in the fourth. He added five boards, five assists, two steals and a block to his line. With Central up one late, Thomas forced a turnover and drew a foul on the other end, sinking both free throws to make it a three-point game.
Gretna couldn’t replicate its clutch magic from the quarterfinals as three different Dragons got looks from deep on the next possession, but Central finally rebounded the third miss and Alijah Wayne split a pair of free throws to seal the victory.
Alex Wilcoxson scored a game-high 20 points including two big triples in the fourth and Landon Pokorski added 11 points, six rebounds and two steals for the Dragons.
Omaha Central gets the win!
Eagles defeat Gretna 51-47 to advance to the Metro Tourney Championship. @annaambrose76 with @ThomasDaleron on the win. pic.twitter.com/CxO4dMBvNI
— THEnebpreps (@THEnebpreps) January 3, 2024
No. 2 Bellevue West 80, No. 3 Omaha Westside 60
Bellevue West senior Jaden Jackson looks to attack against Omaha Westside’s Carson Healy. Photo by Kyle Byers.
The second boys semifinal mirrored the second girls game as a tight contest at halftime turned into a blowout, and that’s largely because of Bellevue West senior Steven Poulicek.
The sharpshooter went off for 20 points in the second half as Bellevue West outscored Westside by 20 in the final 16 minutes. Poulicek finished with a career-high 28 points, shooting 8-of-9 from deep (and he might have gotten fouled on the lone miss). He added three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Poulicek is the third boy to hit eight 3-pointers in the tournament. The first was Daleron Thomas, who the Thunderbirds will see in the final on Wednesday. The second was Poulicek’s teammate, Robby Garcia, in the quarterfinals.
South Dakota State commit Jaden Jackson added 17 points on 50% shooting, eight assists, three steals and two blocks. Garcia just missed out on a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds while Jacob Arop did notch one with 11 points and 13 caroms off the bench.
Senior CJ Mitchell led Westside with 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting (1-of-3 from 3) and four rebounds, showing off terrific touch with a variety of runners and tough shots in the paint. Kevin Stubblefield added 17 points on 6-of-9 from the field and 5-of-8 from the line.
Dominant win over Westside for Bellevue West!@annaambrose76 joined by @stevenpoulicek after a career high 28 points to take the win 80-60. T-Birds face the Eagles tomorrow in the Championship. pic.twitter.com/jEWwJ08EAm
— THEnebpreps (@THEnebpreps) January 3, 2024
Bellevue West will take on Omaha Central in the final set for 7:15 p.m. at Creighton Prep on Thursday.
