OMAHA – The Bearcats clawed their way back to a one point deficit with four minutes and change remaining in the A-2 District Final at Millard North on Monday night, but the final stars never aligned as Kearney falls in heartbreaking fashion to wrap their season 75-66. Click here to listen to the broadcast replay.
After taking down Lincoln Pius on Saturday night at home, Kearney was aiming to punch their ticket to the State Tournament for the first time since 2019 appearing in their first district final since traveling to Millard North in 2020. The Mustangs were seeded first in the A-2 District after a dominant 20-4 season and having taken down Omaha Northwest handily on Saturday evening. The back-to-back defending state champions aimed to make quick work of Kearney and submit their bid a three-peat in Lincoln next week.
KHS BBB
Kearney allowed the Mustangs to control the early moments on the contest, giving Millard North an 8-0 run to open the game in the first two minutes and twenty seconds. Elijah Gaeth for Millard North was electric, hitting outside shots from every square inch of the arc and adding fifteen points in the opening quarter. Coming out of a timeout, the Bearcats began to find some offensive mojo as Ben Johnson answered the bell with two huge triples and another score. Colt Straka hit a three, Asher Endorf added four points, and Jack Dahlgren hit a trademark floater with a foul to keep pace with the Mustangs’ deep strikes. Gaeth had help from Derek Rollins who added four points, as Millard North controlled a first quarter lead up 21-18.
KHS BBB
In the second, Millard North continued their short lead and kept ahead of Kearney using more inside work to open up some outside opportunities. Rollins hit an and-one chance while reserve senior guards Jacob Martin and Luke Davis stepped up with four and five points respectively, including a key three pointer by Davis. Kearney would not back down, having Dahlgren keep his momentum rolling with another four points and Endorf adding his own score. Karter Lee would lay-in a bucket, but Ben Johnson began to creep into foul trouble as he was held scoreless in the period. Outpaced 14-8 in the second, Kearney trailed 35-26 entering halftime.
KHS BBB
Despite the deficit, Kearney only looked forward in their attempt at a comeback. Piece by piece, the Bearcats would slowly chip away at the deficit – despite that deficit growing to as much as thirteen in the third quarter. The Mustangs’ Martin continued his heroic effort on the bench, contributing seven more points to his total while Gaeth fired up triples for six more points. The only scorers for Kearney in the quarter were their leaders on the season – Dahlgren and Johnson. Both shouldered the offensive load adding nineteen total points, twelve by Dahlgren and seven by Johnson. The Mustangs slightly edged Kearney 20-19 in the third, leading 55-45 entering the fourth quarter.
KHS BBB
Kearney finally took the reins of the contest in the fourth quarter, coming on a monstrous run led by Johnson’s furious outside shooting and Dahlgren’s patient play at the charity stripe. The Bearcats cut the ten point deficit to five in two minutes, then to a 59-58 Millard North with four minutes to play.
KHS BBB
Sandwiched between plays, senior Justin Murray for Kearney was fouled from behind on a rebound attempt, then knocked down one free throw and missed the second. On the miss, an offensive rebound by Johnson misfired, but Murray nabbed another board, awaited contact, and elevated for a score and foul putting Kearney right back into the game late.
KHS BBB
After a timeout by the Mustangs, Kearney’s foul troubles would come back to haunt them as the Mustangs’ proved their championship grit hitting sixteen of their seventeen free throws in the fourth quarter, icing the game away from a Kearney rally and sealing the state bid shut for the Bearcats in a 75-66 defeat.
KHS BBB
The Bearcats end the year as A-2 District Runner-Up and complete the season at 17-7 overall.
Millard North improves to 21-4 on the season and awaits their official matchup for the state tournament game. They had contributions from Gaeth with 27 points, Martin had 16, Rollins ended with 15, Davis wrapped with 8, Camden Monie had 5, and Neal Mosser had 4.
Kearney had contributions from six different players including Dahlgren with 25 points, Johnson with 23, Straka ending with 7, Endorf had 6, Murray with 3, and Lee wrapping with 2.
Hear the final postgame thoughts from Kearney Head Coach Drake Beranek here:
