LINCOLN – After #2 and #3 were defeated in the quarterfinal round, #6 Ponca took on #7 Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur in the Class C2 semifinal game Thursday evening.
From the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, day three of the 2021 NSAA Girls State Basketball Championships were held which featured the second day for Class C2 programs.
After trailing 10-5 halfway through the opening quarter, Ponca closed out the first on a 7-0 and never looked back. The Indians won their third straight improving to 21-4 with a 55-37 victory. BRLD saw their 14-game winning streak come to an end and fell to 21-5. The win for Ponca also avenged a regular season loss to BRLD of 63-53.
The other Class C2 semifinal game earlier in the evening favored #1 Crofton over #4 Bridgeport, 66-48.
Sophomore Ashlyn Kingsbury recorded four three-pointers to lead Ponca in scoring with 23 points while fellow sophomore Samantha Ehlers poured in 15 points. Junior Addie McGill added eight points, senior Alyssa Crosgrove finished with four points, sophomores Mattie Milligan and Ellie McAfee both scored two points as sophomore Gracen Evans had one point.
Ponca finished 7-12 from the foul line and made six three-point baskets.
Junior Jordan Snyder led BRLD in scoring with 12 points while senior Isabel Freemont, sophomore Megan Beutler and junior Alyssa Buchholz all had five points. Senior Caragan Tietz and sophomore Isabella Bonneau both scored three points as senior Aubrey Berg and junior Elise Anderson had two points each.
The Wolverines shot 4-7 from the foul line and made three three’s.
1st 2nd Half 3rd 4th Final:
10 7 17 15 5 37 – BRLD
12 18 30 16 9 55 – Ponca
The Class C2 consolation game will be played on Friday at 2 p.m. from Lincoln Northeast HS between #4 Bridgeport and #7 BRLD. The C2 championship will close out the finals slate on Saturday at 8:45 p.m. between #1 Crofton and #6 Ponca. Crofton will be competing in their 13th championship game in program history which is third all-time behind the 14 of South Sioux City and 16 for Lincoln Southeast.
Ponca is back in the C2 championship game for the second straight year after finishing runner-up following a 41-37 loss to Hastings St. Cecilia last year.
Pregame coverage will be set for 8:30 p.m. on Big Red Country ‘KTCH’ 104.9 and waynedailynews.com.
Class C1: #8 Winnebago vs. #5 North Bend Central at 9 a.m. Friday from the PBA in the semifinal round.
Class D1: #3 Hartington Cedar Catholic suffered a 51-50 overtime loss to #2 Weeping Water Thursday evening from the PBA during the semifinal round. HCC will next face #4 Archbishop Bergan (Fremont) at 11:30 a.m. on Friday from Lincoln Northeast HS during the consolation round.
Class D2: #6 Wynot suffered a 41-27 loss to #2 Falls City Sacred Heart Thursday morning from the PBA in the semifinal round. Wynot will next face #4 Mullen at 9 a.m. on Friday from Lincoln Northeast HS for the consolation round.