The 2022 NSAA girls and boys state basketball championships begin today in Lincoln. This year the two tournaments are being played during the same week. The Broken Bow and Anselmo-Merna girls teams will each open tournament play today.
Broken Bow is making their second straight appearance at the state tournament. The Lady Indians are 22-4 on the season and advanced to the state tournament with a 60-29 win over Omaha Gross Catholic in the C1-2 district championship game. Broken Bow is the #4 seed in the Class C1 tournament and will face the #5 seed Gothenburg this morning at 10:45 a.m. at the Devaney Center. This will be the fourth meeting of the season between the two teams. They previously met in the regular season, the SWC tournament championship game, and the finals of the C1-10 sub district tournament. Broken Bow won all three of the previous meetings. Broken Bow head coach Kelly Cooksley visited with KCNI/KBBN sports about facing the Lady Swedes for a fourth time.
Today’s game will be broadcast on KCNI 1280 AM / 96.3 FM and on kcni1280.com. The Broken Bow / Gothenburg winner will advance to the state semifinals to face the winner of Lincoln Lutheran and BRLD (Bancroft Rosalie Lyons Decatur). The other C1 quarterfinals will feature defending state champion and #2 seed North Bend Central vs Malcolm and #3 seed GICC vs St. Paul.
The Anselmo-Merna Lady Coyotes will be competing at the girls state basketball tournament for the first time since 2006. AM advanced to the state tournament with a thrilling 27-26 win over Parkview Christian in the D2-4 district championship game. AM will face Sterling this morning at 10:45 at Lincoln Northeast High School. Both teams enter with identical 19-6 records. The two met most recently in 2020 in the D2-7 district championship with Sterling edging the Coyotes 39-35. AM head coach Trent Kirchmann visited with KCNI/KBBN sports last week. He said that they have openly talked about the atmosphere and pressure that the state tournament can create. He said the Lady Coyotes are confident and ready to “make some noise”.
Today’s AM / Sterling game will be broadcast on KBBN 95.3 FM and on kbbn.com. The winner will advance to the semifinals where they would face the winner of Falls City Sacred Heart vs Wynot. Other D2 quarterfinal matchups today will feature Humphrey St. Francis vs Diller-Odell and St. Mary’s vs Crawford.
FULL INTERVIEW WITH COACH COOKSLEY
FULL INTERVIEW WITH COACH KIRCHMANN
