2026 NSAA Girls Basketball Championships Preview
The Nebraska School Activities Association’s state basketball championships this week will be a historic one on the girls side, marking the 50th state tournament which began with a four-class field in 1977 and state championships for Lincoln East (Class A), York (Class B), Hastings St. Cecilia (Class C) and Shickley (Class D). Classes A, C-2 and D-2 will kick off the championships on Wednesday with Classes B, C-1 and D-1 playing opening round contests on Thursday.
Five of six defending champions have returned: Millard West (A), Lincoln Christian (C-1), Oakland-Craig (C-2), Pender (D-1, in the Class C-2 field) and Falls City Sacred Heart (D-2). Pender seeks a fourth consecutive state title, having won Class C-2 in 2023 and Class D-1 in 2024 and 2025.
Up to date championship information will be delivered via the NSAA Girls Basketball Championship Central page. All first round and state semifinals will be broadcast on the NFHS Network. Saturday’s six championship contests will be broadcast on Nebraska Public Media.
CLASS A: Omaha North looking for history
Omaha North is hoping the real celebrating will happen at the end of the weekend.
But that doesn’t mean the Vikings aren’t going to enjoy what has so far been a memorable run.
Back at the state tournament for the first time in 24 years, Omaha North is one of the favorites in the Class A bracket that begins play Wednesday afternoon.
“To help bring Omaha North High School back to the state tournament after 24 years is bigger than just this team, it’s about legacy,” Vikings coach Michaela Dailey said. “So many players, coaches, and supporters came before us, and this group honored that history. They’ve put the work in to change the narrative and restore pride in our program. It’s a moment our school and community will never forget.”
After making three consecutive trips to the Class A championship game between 1998-2000, North has been back to Lincoln just twice — trips in 2001 and 2002 that ended in first-round losses.
All of North’s seven previous trips to state came in an eight-year stretch between 1995 and 2002. But an influx of transfers — North’s top three scorers were all playing at different schools last season — gave the Vikings a big boost heading into this season.
“Female athletes from across the metro, many of whom had longstanding relationships with me and my coaching staff, came together with one shared vision,” Dailey said. “They chose to believe in what we were building. That unity, that commitment, and that willingness to bet on each other is what makes this moment so powerful.”
Senior Justine Tcheuhchoua, a Jackson State commit, leads Omaha North in scoring at 14.4 points per game, with junior T’Niya Wilson-Smith at 11.5 and sophomore Jo Metoyer at 11.1. WIson-Smith played last season for state qualifier Bellevue East, while Metoyer started for state finalist Omaha Westside.
Those winning pedigrees quickly turned Omaha North into a title contender. After an 0-2 start to the season while the three transfers waited to become eligible, North has gone 24-2 with just one loss to Nebraska competition: an 86-82 setback to Omaha Westside on February 7 that is the fifth-highest scoring girls game in Nebraska history.
North had won 16 in a row, and had beaten Westside by 29 points in the Metro Conference holiday tournament before that loss. Since the defeat, the Vikings have won their past six games by an average of 31 points.
“This group has handled expectations, pressure, and big moments with poise. They’re connected, and when you have talent plus unity, that’s when special things happen,” Dailey said. “I truly enjoy coaching this group. I’m able to be firm with them, hold them accountable, and push them to be their best on and off the court, but we also laugh, joke, and have fun together. They bring energy and joy into the gym every day, and that makes this journey rewarding for me as a coach.”
The Vikings hope the rewards continue Wednesday. North opens with Omaha Westview (20-5), which is making its second consecutive trip to state and riding a 10-game winning streak.
The winner of that game will get the winner of the Kearney-Lincoln Southwest quarterfinal. Kearney (20-3) is back at state for the first time since 2017, and started the year 14-0 while Southwest (16-8) makes its ninth appearances in the last 10 seasons. The teams split a pair of games this season, with Kearney winning on its home floor before Southwest edged the Bearcats in the Heartland Athletic Conference Tournament.
In the top half of the bracket, Lincoln North Star will try to take the final step on a four-year journey. The Gators lost in the first round at state in 2023, were blown out in the semifinals in 2024, and last year pushed eventual champion Millard West to the limit before losing a six-point game in the semifinals. Behind a suffocating defense, North Star (24-1), has lost only to Omaha North on the road. The Gators’ first-round opponent, Millard North (15-9), earned the lone wildcard to state. North Star beat Millard North 60-46 in the second game of the season.
A state championship rematch awaits in the next quarterfinal as two-time defending champion Millard West (20-4) takes on Omaha Westside (22-5). Millard West cruised to last year’s title with a 70-44 win over the Warriors in the championship game. This year, Minnesota commit Kylee Paben (19.4 points per game) leads Millard West as the Wildcats try to become Class A’s first three-peat champion since Lincoln Southeast won three straight from 1993-1995. Since losing 73-44 to Omaha North December 31, Omaha Westside is 14-1.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ani Leu (Lincoln North Star), 14 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 4.5 steals, 55% shooting. Mia McKenzie (Millard North), 16 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals. Kylee Paben (Millard West), 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.4 steals. Sanai Foster (Omaha Westside), 10.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.3 steals. Hallie Garner (Kearney), 17 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.8 steals. Kaytee Irons (Lincoln Southwest), 14.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.2 steals. Justine Tcheuhchoua (Omaha North), 14.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 54% shooting. Stella Williams (Omaha Westview), 13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 46% from 3, 77 made threes.
FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (WEDNESDAY). At Pinnacle Bank Arena | Lincoln North Star (24-1) vs. Millard North (15-9), 1:30 PM; Millard West (20-4) vs. Omaha Westside (22-5), 3:15 PM; Kearney (20-3) vs. Lincoln Southwest (16-8) 6:00 PM; Omaha North (24-4) vs. Omaha Westview (20-5), 7:45 PM.
CLASS B: Perfect Badgers seek first state title
There has been a sort of hierarchy – a pecking order if you will – in Class B girls basketball this winter. And the clear top of the rung, is top-ranked, second-seeded and unbeaten Bennington (25-0). The Badgers have taken on all comers in pursuit of their first girls basketball state championship in school history before they move up to Class A next year.
With three players averaging in double figures, the Badgers went unscathed through the difficult Eastern Midlands Conference this season winning both the regular season and holiday conference tournament titles. Those three standouts are all underclassmen as well, led by sophomore Macie Reiner’s 14.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game average. Reiner is drawing Division I attention from multiple schools.
The Badgers lead a group of four EMC teams that advanced to Lincoln after Saturday’s district final round. Via the NSAA Power Points criteria, Norris (22-3) is the top-seed, despite two losses to Bennington, and will face conference mate Blair to kick off the tournament at 1:30 on Thursday afternoon. Norris defeated the Bears 37-35 on January 16th.
The fourth EMC team in the field is fourth-seeded Gretna East (20-5). The Griffins survived a district final with Grand Island Northwest 69-56 that was a five-point game with just over two minutes left. Last year’s runner-up to Omaha Skutt Catholic will face Sidney in the opening round. The Raiders needed overtime to edge Gretna to advance and lost a 63-37 game to the Griffins on January 31st.
With the Badgers the lone EMC team on the bottom half of the bracket, a conference final could be in the cards for Saturday’s state championship game. Bennington will face Scottsbluff in the quarterfinals after the Bearcats erased a double-digit halftime deficit on Saturday to make Blair the lone wild card for the field of eight.
The winner of that game will play either Lincoln Pius X or Beatrice. At 20-4, Pius’ losses came to Gretna East early in the season, Iowa’s Bishop Heelan, Norris and Class A top-seed Lincoln North Star. The Lady Orange’s Callie Schwisow scored 34 of her team’s 39 points in an overtime win over Skutt Catholic in the district final.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ize Tidball (Norris), 10.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.6 steals. Cadence Field (Blair), 14.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists. Madi Shelburne (Gretna East), 9.4 points, 5.9 rebounds. Laramie Misegadis (Sidney), 12.1 points, 3.7 steals. Harper Bohaboj (Bennington), 11.4 points, 5.6 assists, 4.5 steals and 3.6 rebounds. Ava Reed (Scottsbluff), 16.7 points, 3.1 steals, 2.4 assists. Ava Markowski (Lincoln Pius X), 12.8 points, 2.6 assists, 2.2 steals. Callie Schwisow (Beatrice), 13.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists.
FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (THURSDAY). At Pinnacle Bank Arena | Norris (22-3) vs. Blair (17-7), 1:30 PM; Gretna East (20-5) vs. Sidney (19-5), 3:15 PM; Bennington (25-0) vs. Scottsbluff (17-8) 6:00 PM; Lincoln Pius X (20-4) vs. Beatrice (18-8), 7:45 PM.
CLASS C-1: Deep bracket likely to produce fireworks
It doesn’t get much better than what you’ll see in this year’s Class C-1 bracket.
Every team has at least 21 wins, six of the eight have more than 21, and no one has more than four losses. Two of the schools, Milford and Holdrege, met in this fall’s C-1 volleyball championship. Lincoln Christian returns as the two-time defending champion. Gothenburg played in a semifinal in 2025, Malcolm has perhaps the best duo in the class, and Central City is making its first-ever appearance.
You get the idea.
Those Bison (24-3) are the No. 8 seed, to give you an idea of the talent spread through the eight teams. Central City has lost only to Milford, Malcolm, and C-2 unbeaten Elkhorn Valley, all by single digits, and gets another crack at Milford (25-1) Thursday morning.
The Eagles, before winning that volleyball title, played in last spring’s C-1 basketball championship game. Behind one of the top sophomore athletes in the nation in Shayla Rautenberg, Milford has lost only to Class B power Norris this season.
Familiar foes meet in the other game on the top half of the bracket as Ogallala (21-4) and Gothenburg (21-4) face off for the third time in the last 23 days. The teams split their first two meetings, with Gothenburg grabbing a 3-point road win over the Indians on February 10 before Ogallala rolled past an injury-plagued Gothenburg squad in the C1-1 subdistrict final. Gothenburg is seeking a second consecutive state semifinal appearance while Ogallala, at state for the first time since 2007, goes for its first state win since winning Class B in 1999.
Another team at state for the first time since 2007, Fort Calhoun (24-2), has lost just once since the calendar flipped to 2026. The Pioneers draw the task of trying to dethrone two-time defending champion Lincoln Christian (24-2), which last season held off Milford by seven points to win C-1. Christian hasn’t slowed down much from the last two seasons with an average margin of 31 points in its 24 wins. Seniors Jessa Hueser and Maci Pittenger have seen more state tournament atmospheres than some of the coaches in Lincoln this week.
With two of the best players in the state and a legendary coach on the bench, Malcolm (25-1) has all the pieces to make a run. With the unretired Dennis Prichard calling the sets, sisters Halle and Payton Dolliver combine for 37 points, 19 rebounds, 7 assists and 5.4 steals per game to lead Malcolm. A senior and Nebraska-Omaha commit, Halle Dolliver is shining once again after a knee injury took away her junior season. Younger sister Payton leads the team with 19.4 points per game.
The Clippers, though, have the unenviable task of playing a postseason rematch after downing Holdrege 45-36 in the C1-9 subdistrict on Malcolm’s home floor. The Dusters (22-4), at state for the first time since 2014, would certainly love to start avenging a schedule in which three of their four losses came by single digits to state tournament qualifiers.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Shayla Rautenberg (Milford), 19 points, 14.2 rebounds, 4.1 blocks, 66% shooting. Sydni Homolka (Central City), 12.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.9 steals. Shaydyn Rasby (Ogallala), 12.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.0 steals. Zoe Beveridge (Gothenburg), 16.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.7 steals, 73 threes. Jessa Hueser (Lincoln Christian), 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.0 steals. Ansley Elofson (Fort Calhoun), 15.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.7 steals. Halle Dolliver (Malcolm), 17.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.2 steals. Emily Sutzman (Holdrege), 14.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals.
FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (THURSDAY). At Bob Devaney Center | Milford (25-1) vs. Central City (24-3), 9:00 AM; Ogallala (21-4) vs. Gothenburg (21-4), 10:45 AM; Lincoln Christian (24-2) vs. Fort Calhoun (24-2) 1:30 PM; Malcolm (25-1) vs. Holdrege (22-4), 3:15 PM.
CLASS C-2: Elkhorn Valley hopes for next step in loaded field
There are some loaded fields in this year’s state girls tournament and then there is Class C-2. The past five champions – all different schools – are all in the round of eight which begins on Wednesday morning when Pender faces Centura at the Bob Devaney Center.
In order, those past five champions are: Oakland-Craig (2025), Yutan (2024), Pender (2023), Hastings St. Cecilia (2022) and Crofton (2021). St. Cecilia also won in 2019 and 2020.
One of the teams that hopes to keep the string of different champions going is unbeaten Elkhorn Valley. The 26-0 Falcons have played just three games this season under 10 points, including last Friday’s district final, overtime win over David City Aquinas.
EV coach Brendan Dittmer, who led the Falcons to the state title game a season ago, said the talent in the class this year is the best he can ever remember.
“You just look up and down this bracket and there are so many great teams,” Dittmer said. “This weekend is just going to be a war of attrition. You have to figure out a way each game to get the job done. You can’t think ahead at all. We are worried about Crofton right now and we know how good they are.”
How talented are we talking?
Consider that top-seeded Pender (25-2) holds a win over Class A wild card qualifier Millard North at the Nebraska Girls Basketball Showcase and Oakland-Craig (24-3) has a win over Class B’s fourth-seed Gretna East just after Christmas.
Pender is the obvious other story line as the tournament kicks off. They will go for their fourth consecutive state championship; the first in C-2 in 2023 over Oakland-Craig and the last two in Class D-1. Should they win, coach Jason Dolliver’s team would be the first team in state history to win four straight, but in two different classes.
The Pendragons have just one Nebraska loss during the final week of the regular season to Class C-1 qualifier Lincoln Christian. Seniors Hadley Walsh (15.4 points and 8.0 rebounds) and Madalyn Dolliver (12.0 points and 3.6 assists) have been there for them all. First round opponent Centura upset fourth-ranked Alma in their district final and will come to Lincoln 24-3, with all three losses to C-1 qualifiers Central City (twice) and Holdrege.
The winner of that game will face either Yutan or Hastings St. Cecilia. The Hawkettes, which won the first three Class C state titles from 1977-1979, are unbeaten in the class this season while Yutan hasn’t lost to a Class C-2 team since the season opener against Elmwood-Murdock.
Dittmer’s Falcons, who get 11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists from sophomore Kyndal Werner, sit on the same side with Oakland-Craig – which beat them in last year’s championship game – and perennial power Guardian Angels Central Catholic. But, his team has the confidence of playing in last year’s title match and that of a 52-game regular season winning streak.
Dittmer said his team may have had a little bigger bullseye on their back this year and it could help this week.
“I think we have kind of taken the approach this year of you just go win the next game,” Dittmer added. “That’s all you need to do. We have been in some tough games and played some teams that made it to state. But, I don’t think our girls ever carried any extra weight from that.
“It’s just the challenge each game out that we are going to get everyone’s best shot.”
The final game of the opening round pits neighbors Oakland-Craig and GACC. In a sub-district final game, the defending champion Knights came away with a 67-58 overtime victory after the game was tied at 57 after regulation play.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Myra Hansen (Pender), 11.0 points, 5.1 rebounds. Taya Taukiuvea (Centura), 18.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.6 steals. Mylee Tichota (Yutan), 14.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 3.5 steals. Avery Kissinger (Hastings St. Cecilia), 11.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists. Cameron Ruetjens (Elkhorn Valley), 12.6 points, 3.2 assists, 3.6 steals. Jaisie Janssen (Crofton), 17.2 points, 12.4 rebounds. Briar Ray (Oakland-Craig), 18.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists. Bailey Gerths (GACC), 15.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.2 steals.
FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (WEDNESDAY). At Bob Devaney Center | Pender (25-2) vs. Centura (24-3), 9:00 AM; Yutan (20-4) vs. Hastings St. Cecilia (22-3), 10:45 AM; Elkhorn Valley (26-0) vs. Crofton (19-7) 1:30 PM; Oakland-Craig (24-3) vs. Guardian Angels Central Catholic (20-6), 3:15 PM.
CLASS D-1: Unbeaten Bloomfield eyes first title in rare Lincoln appearance
It hasn’t happened often. But when the Bloomfield girls basketball team does make the state tournament, the Bees have made the trip worth it.
At state for the first time since 1979, the undefeated Bees (26-0) will try for their first state championship when the Class D-1 tournament tips off on Thursday.
Only two other times prior to this season has Bloomfield qualified for state. The first, in 1978, ended with a state runner-up finish in Class C. The second, one year later, ended in a three-point semifinal loss.
This year’s Bees might be too young to appreciate the lack of state history. There are no seniors on the 13-player Bloomfield roster, and just two juniors. A sophomore, Madyson Mlady, leads the team in scoring at nearly 21 points per game. A freshman, Kennedy Mlady, isn’t far behind at 16.6 per contest
The Bees open against Arapahoe at 9 a.m. Thursday in Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Warriors (21-5) qualify as the Cinderella team here despite their impressive record, after knocking off No. 4-seeded Shelton on the Bulldogs’ home floor to reach state for the first time since 2014.
The winner of that game will face either Amherst or Sutton. Amherst (19-6), coming off the school’s first state volleyball championship in the fall, has lost only twice to D-1 competition this season — both times to No. 2 seed Elm Creek. Sutton (20-7) presents all sorts of game planning headaches, with five players averaging between 5.5 and 8.5 points per game and no one averaging double figures.
Speaking of Elm Creek (22-4), last year’s D-1 runner-up returns for another run at its first state championship. Led by 15 point-per-game scorer Kendal Cavenee, the Buffaloes have topped 70 points seven times while averaging 60 points per game, and will face a Cross County team (20-7) in its fourth consecutive state tournament thanks to wins in 12 of its last 14 games.
A battle-tested Howells-Dodge team faces Maywood-Hayes Center in the final D-1 game. The Jaguars (19-7) played the bulk of their schedule against C-1 or C-2 opponents while defeating the five D-1 teams they played by an average of 25 points per game. May-Hay (23-3) counters with the 1-2 punch of junior Caylie Softley (19.5 points per game) and senior Karissa Stengel (15.2 points per game).
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Madyson Mlady (Bloomfield), 20.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.1 steals. Clara Hilker (Arapahoe), 11.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals. Addy Simmons (Amherst), 12.9 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.6 steals. Kyla Griess (Sutton), 8.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.7 steals. Kendal Cavenee (Elm Creek), 14.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 5.1 steals. Eden Peterson (Cross County), 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.9 steals. Caylie Softley (Maywood-Hayes Center), 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 3.7 steals. Kyle Brichacek (Howells-Dodge), 15.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assist, 1.6 steals.
FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (THURSDAY). At Pinnacle Bank Arena | Bloomfield (26-0) vs. Arapahoe (21-5), 9:00 AM; Amherst (19-6) vs. Sutton (20-7), 10:45 AM. At Bob Devaney Center | Elm Creek (22-4) vs. Cross County (20-7) 6:00 PM; Maywood-Hayes Center (23-3) vs. Howells-Dodge (19-7), 7:45 PM.
CLASS D-2: Top-ranked Tigers face tradition rich field
Dundy County-Stratton’s bid for a first state title in school history will have to go through some historical juggernauts in Class D-2. The 25-1 Tigers have been on top of most polls since Christmas with their only loss this season coming to Class C-2 district finalist Alma in the Republican Plains Athletic Conference championship game.
Less than a year after leading DCS to their schools first girls state championship at state track in Omaha, sisters Clara and Abi Spargo lead the Tigers surge to Lincoln. DCS also advanced to last fall’s Class D-2 semifinals in volleyball losing to eventual champion Wynot.
Sophomore Abi leads DCS with averages of 18.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.3 steals per contest as the Tigers will hope to ramp up defensive pressure on their opponents in Lincoln. Sister Clara, who passed 1,000 career points in their district final win over Potter-Dix, scores 13.0 points and leads the Tigers at 2.9 assists per game. DCS will face Loomis (14-11) in the opening round after the Wolves went on the road to defeat Mullen in the district final.
Also in the top half of the bracket, is perennial power Archangels Catholic (19-7). The Defenders finished third a season ago and qualified for the tournament 16 times as Humphrey St. Francis. As the Flyers, they won four state championships – the last in 2021. They will face Silver Lake in the opening round, who makes their second appearance at state in a row. The Mustangs (18-5) lost to eventual finalist Dorchester, 38-37 in last year’s quarterfinal.
The bottom half of the bracket features even more intrigue.
Defending champion Falls City Sacred Heart is the third seed and will make their 16th consecutive state tournament appearance where they will face Wynot, the Class D-2 volleyball champion, in the opening round. The Irish are 18-8, while Wynot is 16-11.
The scout should be no issue.
Remarkably, the Irish and Blue Devils have played each other in Lincoln 11 times in that 15-year stretch with Wednesday night’s meeting the 12th. Four of the contests have decided the Class D-2 state championship and Wynot holds a 6-5 edge in the Lincoln series. In that same stretch, Wynot owns six titles, but missed the state tournament a season ago.
The winner of that game will face either Red Cloud (20-3) or Sumner-Eddyville-MIller (13-9) in the semifinals. SEM went on the road to defeat Cambridge in the district final and have one of the most dynamic players in the field as senior Taryn Arbuthnot averages 22.8 points and 13.0 rebounds per contest. Red Cloud won a regular season matchup 51-10 when SEM was playing short-handed.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Emily Schack (Dundy County-Stratton), 9.6 points, 5.8 rebounds. Sophia Schemper (Loomis), 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds. Sophie Schmidt (Silver Lake) 14.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 113 steals, 78 assists. Whitney Wegener (Archangels Catholic) 11.3 points, 7.9 rebounds. Avia Rust (Red Cloud) 19.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.4 steals, 3.6 assists. Jaycelyn Hoos (Sumner-Eddyville-Miller), 12.8 points, 9.0 rebounds. Hallie Jones (Falls City Sacred Heart), 9.7 points, 7.1 rebounds. Kenna Oligmueller (Wynot), 13.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.5 steals.
FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (WEDNESDAY). At Pinnacle Bank Arena | Dundy County-Stratton (25-1) vs. Loomis (14-11), 9:00 AM; Silver Lake (18-5) vs. Archangels Catholic (17-9), 10:45 AM. At Bob Devaney Center | Red Cloud (20-3) vs. Sumner-Eddyville-Miller (13-9) 6:00 PM; Falls City Sacred Heart (18-8) vs. Wynot (16-11), 7:45 PM.