This Week in Nebraska Girl’s Basketball-January 12th, 2020
THE WEEK THAT WAS: Last week’s schedule featured perhaps the strongest, top to bottom slate of the season so far, with alot of big-time head to head matchups. Lincoln Christian dropped two tough games to Class B favorite Crete and…
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Continue ReadingTHE WEEK THAT WAS: Last week’s schedule featured perhaps the strongest, top to bottom slate of the season so far, with alot of big-time head to head matchups. Lincoln Christian dropped two tough games to Class B favorite Crete and Class C2 favorite Hastings St. Cecilia’s, which does not penalize the Crusaders in any way. York rose up with a big victory over Grand Island Northwest, while Lincoln East got a big road win against conference rival Fremont. State tournament contender Grand Island Central Catholic dropped two tough games to Kearney Catholic and North Platte, who continues to fly under the radar in the Class A hierarchy. Johnson-Brock also lost two tough games against Nebraska City Lourdes and Weeping Water.
THREE THINGS I LIKE:
- Millard South continues to impress, traveling across the river to defeat Council Bluffs Lewis Central this weekend. The Patriots attacking, pressing style are making them a must-see squad for the average basketball fan, and they will only get better with four freshman in the rotation.
- A surpise squad in Class C1 is Syracuse, who is off to a nice 9-1 start. The Rockets have had the benefit of a soft schedule, but they will be challenged this week with match-ups against Milford and Arlington. Syracuse will not have alot of room for error in the wild card standings, so every game will be important for them as the season progresses.
- BRLD (Bancroft-Rosalie/ Lyons-Decatur Northeast) has soared up the Class C2 wild card standings, helped by three impressive wins since the calendar turned to 2020 over Pender, Ponca and West Point-Beemer. With only two seniors on the roster, not only watch out for the Wolverines this year, but beyond!
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Oakland-Craig is undefeated as well this season, which would not be possible without the outstanding play of senior Kennedy Benne. Benne, a Briar Cliff committ, averaged 24 points a game in two big wins this weekend over Stanton and Elmwood-Murdoch, and her season to date average is just a tick under 20 points a game. Benne has nicely filled the void of the graduated Dacey Nelson for the Knights, but Benne will really have to step up her game this weekend when the Knights travel to the afore-mentioned BRLD for a battle of undefeateds.
GAME OF THE WEEK –> LINCOLN-OMAHA CORRIDOR: There are alot of Lincoln vs. Omaha match-ups this weekend, but the highlight of the week is two Omaha schools on Friday night, when Millard North heads down to Papillion LaVista to take on the Monarchs. The Mustangs are 8-3, but their three losses were to high level teams, while Papio comes in at 10-1. The only common opponent for these two squads is Omaha North, and both teams handled the Vikings with ease. It should be a great night in a high level game in Sarpy County.
GAME OF THE WEEK –> STATE-WIDE: We have two great games this week state-wide, starting with the aforementioned Oakland-Craig/ BRLD match-up of unbeatens on Friday night. Along with that one, on Tuesday night, Hastings St. Cecilia will travel to Grand Island Northwest and Nebraska walk-on Whitney Brown. Northwest has three losses, but two of those have been to Crete before dropping a four point decision to a talented York team Saturday on the road. This could be one of the biggest challenges to the Hawkettes this season.
Honorable Mention: North Platte @ Mullen (Tuesday, 1/14), Grand Island Central Catholic @ York (Tuesday, 1/14), Kearney Catholic @ Broken Bow (Thursday, 1/16), David City Aquinas @ Grand Island Central Catholic (Friday, 1/17), Lincoln High @ Lincoln Pius X (Friday, 1/17), Crete @ York (Friday, 1/17), Sidney @ Ogallala (Friday, 1/17), Norris @ Crete (Saturday, 1/18), Westside @ Lincoln East (Saturday, 1/18), North Platte @ Sidney (Saturday, 1/18)
CLASS A ELITE EIGHT: Millard South, Lincoln East, Westside, Papillion LaVista, Millard North, Fremont, Lincoln Pius X, North Platte
CLASS B ELITE EIGHT: Grand Island Northwest, Crete, Blair, Beatrice, Platteview, Bennington, Sidney, York
CLASS C1 ELITE EIGHT: Broken Bow, North Bend-Central, Lincoln Chrisitan, Milford, Ogallala, Kearney Catholic, St. Paul, Chadron
CLASS C2 ELITE EIGHT: Hastings St. Cecilia, Crofton, Fillmore Central, Grand Island Central Catholic, Guardian Angels Central Catholic, Oakland-Craig, BRLD, Superior
CLASS D1 ELITE EIGHT: CWC, Weeping Water, Pleasanton, Dundy County-Stratton, Humphery/ Lindsay Holy Family, Johnson-Brock, Fremont Bergan, North Platte St. Patrick’s
CLASS D2 ELITE EIGHT: Falls City Sacred Heart, Exeter-Milligan, Humphery St. Francis, Wynot, BDS, Sterling, Lawrence-Nelson, Mullen