The 2025 NSAA Girls Basketball State Championship rolled on Friday with the semifinals at Pinnacle Bank Arena and the Devaney Center.
Quarterfinal coverage: Wednesday | Thursday
Class C1
No. 1 Lincoln Christian 64, No. 4 Gothenburg 51
Senior star Mattea Kassebaum took over in the fourth quarter to quell a Gothenburg rally and keep Lincoln Christian’s repeat hopes alive.
Kassebaum, a finalist for NEBPreps Class C1 Player of the Year, scored 14 of her game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter including 10 straight Crusader points after Gothenburg had trimmed a 19-point deficit to zero. Kassebaum broke Chloe Dworak’s single-season scoring record at Christian in the game.
Junior Macie Pittenger (4-for-7 from 3) and sophomore Sam Dearking (3-for-4 from 3) scored 12 points apiece while senior Ken Ailes chipped in 10 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and dished out five assists. The Crusaders shot 10-of-26 (38.5%) from 3.
Gothenburg executed its game plan well in the first quarter. The Swedes kept the Crusaders off the board for nearly four minutes and led 14-12 at the end of the period.
Then the second quarter began, and the undefeated reigning champs flexed their muscles. The Crusaders caught fire from 3, connecting on five of their nine attempts in the period, and held the Swedes without a field goal for more than six minutes.
Christian scored 16 points before Gothenburg’s first bucket and won the quarter 22-4 overall to take a 34-18 lead into halftime. The Crusaders made as many 3s as Gothenburg did field goals in the first half (seven of each) as the Swedes went 0-for-11 from downtown. Even more impressive is the Crusaders built that lead with Kassebaum, a 20-point-per-game scorer, totaling just two points on 1-for-7 shooting.
The Swedes didn’t fold, however. They kept within striking distance in the third, trailing by 15 heading into the final period, then turned up the pressure significantly in the fourth.
The Swedes made eight of their first nine shots including three triples (after shooting 0-for-12 in the first three quarters) and forced seven Lincoln Christian turnovers to tie the game at 49-all midway through the fourth. The comeback was short-lived, however.
Jessa Hueser responded with a friendly bounce on a 3-pointer to put the Crusaders back in front, then Kassebaum took over. The senior attacked the basket relentlessly and put together a personal 10-2 run to push the lead back to double figures and send her team back to the championship.
Senior Alex Beveridge finished with 19 points on 50% shooting and eight rebounds for the Crusaders. Junior Halsey Thomalla added 16 points for the Swedes, who will play in the third-place game on Saturday.
“We just had to settle down and slow down.”
Lincoln Christian coach Scott Klein speaks on the Crusaders’ 64-51 semifinal win over Gothenburg to move to the Class C1 title game. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/aHFgRBdQWs
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 7, 2025
No. 3 Milford 67, No. 2 Minden 61
Milford used a dominant second quarter to earn its first state championship berth in its first tournament appearance since 2008.
The Eagles shot 51.9% from the field and outscored the Whippets 24-9 from the 3-point line to offset a big disparity at the foul line.
Four Eagles scored in double figures with senior Izzy Yeackley leading the way. She scored 16 points and dished out four assists while shooting 5-of-12 from deep. Freshman Shayla Rautenberg notched a double-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks as foul trouble limited her to 23 minutes. Sophomore Ashlynn Miller chipped in 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting and six boards. Senior point guard Ayla Roth added 13 points and seven assists.
Rautenberg, the 6-foot-3 freshman who leads the Eagles in scoring average and rebounding, picked up her second foul midway through the first quarter and took a seat on the bench. The Whippets closed the period with an 11-2 run to take a 20-12 lead.
Rautenberg — a high-level volleyball recruit who had new Nebraska head coach Dani Busboom Kelly and assistant Jaylen Reyes sitting courtside to watch her — returned to the court to start the second period and the Eagles took over. She opened the period with a three-point play, sparking a 20-2 run to give the Eagles a 10-point lead before Minden’s second bucket. Milford led by as much as 13 before taking a 39-27 lead into halftime.
The lead swelled to 16 before Rautenberg picked up her third foul and took a seat. Minden took advantage with a 9-0 run to trim it to seven before Coach Bryce Roth sent his star freshman back into the game, and the Eagles stretched the lead back to 12 by the end of the period.
Minden continued to attack, outscoring Milford 11-4 in the first five minutes of the fourth. Roth made a couple of big plays to maintain the lead, however, converting an and-one then drawing a charge, but she committed her fifth foul with 1:42 to go.
Clinging to a five-point lead with its point guard on the bench, Milford used every bit of the shot clock before the ball found its way to freshman Abby Crabtree who fired away from deep and buried the shot with just over a minute to play. The shot served as the dagger, giving the Eagles a big enough cushion to close it out.
Myla Emery scored a game-high 18 points on 50% from the field and 5-of-5 from the line for the Whippets. Mattie Kamery added 16 points and four boards.
The Eagles will face No. 1 Lincoln Christian in the C1 championship game on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
“You’ve got to fight for every single possession.”
Milford’s @CoachBryceRoth talks about the Eagles’ 67-61 semifinal win over Minden to advance to the Class C1 championship game. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/BBJsZxAl19
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 7, 2025
Class A
No. 1 Millard West 34, No. 4 Lincoln North Star 28
Lincoln North Star’s trapping 1-3-1 defense confounded Millard West for most of the game on Friday, but the Wildcats got just enough shot-making and a fantastic effort from their defense to get by the Gators.
Neleigh Gessert scored 15 points, all on 3-pointers, while adding nine rebounds and four steals to her line. The Wildcats won despite shooting 22.5% from the field — by holding the Gators to 22% including 3-of-15 from 3.
The Wildcats took a 16-9 lead 90 seconds into the second quarter — then didn’t score again the rest of the half. They missed their last 10 shots of the period and turned the ball over four times as North Star closed the quarter on a 10-0 run to take a 19-16 lead at the break.
Lincoln North Star scored the first bucket in the third to push the lead to five, Millard West rallied to take the lead, then Joyce Johnson scored to tie it up at 25-all heading into the fourth.
The final period began with some fireworks with three straight made 3s — by Neleigh Gessert, North Star’s Ani Leu and Millard West’s Kylee Paben — to make it 31-28 Wildcats a minute and a half in.
Neither team scored again until senior Jade Lewis hit a pair of free throws after an offensive rebound with 43.4 to play. Anna Dunne added an insurance free throw to create the final margin. The teams combined to go 0-for-15 from the field the rest of the way after the flurry of 3s.
Senior Sarah Gatwech led North Star with 13 points and three steals.
“There’s not a whole lot you can do now. The hay is in the barn, as they say.”
Millard West coach @Krugs_9 talks about the No. 1 Wildcats’ 34-28 win over No. 4 Lincoln North Star to advance to the Class A title game. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/LeDUROx182
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 7, 2025
No. 7 Omaha Westside 47, No. 6 Bellevue West 35
The Warriors held the Thunderbirds to three points in the fourth quarter to turn a tight battle into a double-digit win and advance to the final.
Freshman Himayajo Metoyer scored a game-high 15 points, senior Kimora Jenkins added 12 points, five rebounds and four steals and junior Sanai Foster chipped in 10 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
Bellevue West led by as much as seven in the first half, then Westside surged ahead by eight in the third quarter, but it was a one-point game heading into the fourth.
Jenkins scored first, then freshman Stevie Harley answered for the T-Birds to make it 35-34 with just over six minutes to play. Westside locked down from there, however, holding Bellevue West to one point and 0-of-9 from the field with six turnovers the rest of the way.
Harley led the Thunderbirds with 12 points and eight rebounds. Yirah Sears, another freshman, added 11 points. In total, freshmen accounted for 31 of Bellevue West’s points, with the other four coming from a sophomore.
The Warriors will take on No. 1 Millard West in Saturday’s Class A championship, set for 1 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
“Who is willing to do the extra work? I think our girls have proved they’re willing to do what it takes.”
Omaha Westside coach @SclarkSteve speaks on the Warrirors’ 47-35 Class A semifinal win over No. 6 Bellevue West. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/tvV0WGw8uP
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 7, 2025
Class B
No. 1 Skutt Catholic 58, No. 4 Bennington 45
Bennington opened the game with back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 6-2 lead 45 seconds in, but the excitement was short-lived as the SkyHawks controlled the action the rest of the night to return to the championship game.
Senior Molly Ladwig flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the SkyHawks. Fellow senior Kamryn Kasner recorded her own double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
The SkyHawks responded to the 6-2 start with an 11-0 run and led 18-10 by the end of the quarter. Skutt opened the second with a pair of 3s then pushed the lead to 18 by halftime.
The Badgers kept it from getting out of hand from there, but Skutt kept the lead in double figures the rest of the way.
Sophomore Harper Bohaboj led Bennington with 13 points, five assists and four rebounds.
The SkyHawks will play in the championship game on Saturday for the fourth straight season after finishing runner-up to Elkhorn North the previous three seasons.
“They’re extremely motivated. They’re driven. They put their best foot forward all the time.”
Skutt Catholic coach @kctarheel10 thinks this @SkuttGBB team is ready for a title. 🏆 #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/URabbtQVhv
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 8, 2025
No. 7 Gretna East 38, No. 3 Waverly 34
Weekday Wade Coulter took Lincoln Lutheran to the state championship game in his second year at Lincoln Christian, and now he’s done the same in his second year at Gretna East (the second year of existence for the school).
Karli Williams led the Griffins with 15 points on 60% shooting and seven rebounds while fellow senior Sonora DeFini recorded a double-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
Points were at a premium early as the teams combined to shoot 5-for-30 in the first period. The Griffins led 8-5 after one and pushed the lead to 16-10 with a steal and score from DeFini just before the halftime buzzer.
After a scoreless first half, Waverly senior Parker Christiansen took over in the third period, scoring 10 of the Vikings’ 12 points. Twice she gave Waverly the lead, but the Griffins closed the quarter with a 6-0 run.
Christiansen scored the first four points of the fourth to make it a one-point game, but Gretna East responded with a layup from Williams and a 3 from senior Hailey Levinson, and the Griffins had an answer for every Waverly score until a 3 at the buzzer.
Christiansen scored 16 of Waverly’s 24 points in the second half to lead the Vikings.
The Griffins will take on No. 1 Skutt Catholic in the Class B championship set for 6:15 p.m. on Saturday at the Devaney Center.
“You just have to find a way when it ain’t pretty. And it ain’t been pretty, but it’s been effective.”
Gretna East coach @WeekdayWade shares his thoughts on the Griffins’ 38-34 win over No. 3 Waverly in the Class B semifinals. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/Fv7MqDFlTy
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 8, 2025
Class D1
Results from the Devaney Center:
>> No. 1 Pender 53, No. 5 Alma 40: The Pendragons will compete for a third straight state championship on Saturday. Pender led by as much as 29 late in the third quarter before cruising through the fourth. Junior Hadley Walsh led the way with 23 points and six boards for the Pendragons while Madalyn Dolliver chipped in 11 points.
>> No. 2 Elm Creek 54, No. 6 Hartington Cedar Catholic 49: The Trojans raced out to an 18-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Buffaloes turned the tables in the second quarter, took the lead in the third then maintained it throughout the fourth to punch their ticket to the final for the second time. Three scored in double figures for Elm Creek while Ryann Erickson was a point shy of a double-double, as was Katelyn Arens for Cedar Catholic.
The top two seeds will face each other for the Class D1 state championship on Saturday at 9 a.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Class C2
Results from the Devaney Center:
>> No. 4 Elkhorn Valley 47, No. 8 Guardian Angels Central Catholic 42: Elkhorn Valley built a 15-point lead, gave it all up then finished strong to earn its place in the C2 championship. Senior JJ Black nearly notched a triple-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and nine blocks while Karlee Broberg scored 15 points to lead the Falcons.
>> No. 3 Oakland-Craig 49, No. 2 Crofton 45: Oakland-Craig blew a double-digit lead and found itself down by five with three minutes to go, but the Knights used a 9-0 run to surge ahead then made enough free throws down the stretch to advance to the final. Senior Adi Rennerfeldt scored seven of her 10 points in the final three minutes to lead the comeback. Senior Bailey Pelan scored a team-high 16 points while junior Sonya Guzinski added 14 points while shooting 4-of-9 from 3, giving her 11 made 3s in two games at state.
The No. 3 Knights will take on No. 4 Elkhorn Valley in the C2 championship set for 4:15 p.m. on Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Class D2
Results from the Devaney Center:
>> No. 4 Dorchester 39, No. 8 Wilcox-Hildreth 31: Madison Sheen knocked down a 3-pointer with 4:15 to play to tie the game at 30-all, but the Longhorns responded with a 9-1 run to close out the game and earn their first state final appearance. Senior Gabrielle Theis led the way with 15 points and 11 rebounds, junior Bailey Theis chipped in 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting and four boards.
>> No. 2 Falls City Sacred Heart 47, No. 6 Archangels Catholic 38: With the game tied midway through the fourth quarter, junior Avery Santo put the Irish on her back, scoring eight straight points to put Sacred Heart in the driver’s seat, and the Irish salted the game away at the line to advance to the final. Santo finished with a game-high 23 points on 8-of-15 from the field including 7-of-11 from deep, tying the D2 single-game tournament record for 3s. Junior Daycee Whitt added 14 points, five assists and four rebounds.
No. 2 Sacred Heart will take on No. 4 Dorchester in Saturday’s championship nightcap, tipping off at 8:15 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
