The SEM girls basketball team qualified for the state tournament on Friday by winning the D2-5 district championship. The Lady Mustangs knocked off #5 seed Cambridge on the road Friday evening to advance. SEM trailed by three at the half but tied the game up 35-35 entering the fourth. In the fourth, the game was tied 39-39 but SEM closed the game on a 10-2 run to secure a 49-41 victory to send them back to the girls state basketball tournament for the first time since 2023. As they have done all season long, Taryn Arbuthnot and Jaycelyn Hoos led the way offensively. Arbuthnot finished with a team high 16 points and Hoos finished with 14 points, ten of which came in the final quarter. Mallory Springer led the way for Cambridge scoring 31 of their 41 points but did not score from the field in the fourth quarter and was held to just three points in the fourth quarter. SEM improves to 13-9 on the season and advances to the Class D2 girls state basketball tournament which begins Wednesday March 4th. All SEM games from the girls state tournament will be broadcast on KBBN 95.3 FM and kbbn.com.
Mullen fell just short in their bid to return to the girls state basketball tournament falling to Loomis in the D2-4 district final. Mullen led 25-20 at halftime but Loomis outscored the Lady Broncos 19-11 in the third quarter to take the lead and then held on for a 55-48 win to advance to the state tournament. Mullen had three players finish in double figures led by Riley Hegland who scored a team high 11 points. Haley Donohoe and Jenna Donohoe each scored ten points for Mullen who ends their season with an overall record of 17-6. Addison Perry of Loomis led all scorers with a game high 23.
Other D2 district final scores
Falls City Sacred Heart 43, St. Mary’s 40
Archangels Catholic 58, Hay Springs 32
Dundy County Stratton 71, Potter-Dix 15
Silver Lake 52, Paxton 43
Wynot 39, McCool Junction 36
Red Cloud 53, Nebraska Lutheran 35
Gothenburg is headed back to the state tournament in Class C1. Gothenburg edged Scotus Central Catholic of Columbus 53-52 to advance.
Other C1 district final scores
Ogallala 62, Louisville 43
Holdrege 60, Omaha Nation 47
Fort Calhoun 60, Bridgeport 51
Lincoln Christian 67, Battle Creek 27
Milford 36, Wahoo 26
Central City 54, Raymond Central 26
Malcolm 51, North Bend Central 40
D1 District final scores
Bloomfield 74, Wauneta-Palisade 45
Maywood Hayes Center 69, Weeping Water 55
Cross County 47, Central Valley 44
Elm Creek 73, Niobrara-Verdigre 49
Amherst 48, Overton 45
Sutton 49, Tri County 23
Howells-Dodge 39, Bancroft-Rosalie 34
Araphoe 67, Shelton 55
C2 District final scores
Crofton 52, Elmwood-Murdock
Yutan 55, Valentine 36
Oakland-Craig 59, Freeman 45
Centura 48, Alma 42
Hastings St. Cecilia 37, Sandy Creek 27
GACC 40, Thayer Central 38
Elkhorn Valley 63, Aquinas Cathoic 60 (OT)
Pender 48, Johnson County Central 29
