At least one Panhandle team will be heading to next week’s Nebraska boys basketball state tournament. Kimball defeated Gothenburg 51-40 last night in Grant to claim the C1-6 district title and earn the Longhorns their second trip to Lincoln in 3 years.

Kimball led by 8-to-10 points most of the game and off a fourth quarter rally by hitting FTs. The Longhorns ended 16-21 from the line while Gothenburg was just 4 of 6.

6-8 Mike Daum led Kimball with 22 points including 10-11 from the foul line and a pair of 3 pointers. The Longhorns also got 12 points from fellow junior Jake Reader.

FTs also made the difference in the C2-6 final as North Platte St Patrick’s ended Hemingford’s season 51-43. St. Pat’s was 19 of 26 at the free-throw line, while Hemingford was 3 of 5.

Kyle Kumpf led Hemingford in scoring in the game with 14 points and Matthew Wood added 13 points as Hemingford finishes at 19-6. St Pats heads to Lincoln at 22-3.

There are 3 district finals tonight. Potter-Dix meets Paxton at 7:00 in Chappell at Creek Valley HS for the D1-6 crown and state tournament berth, Leyton takes on Sandhills/Thedford in the D2-6 final at 7:00 CT in Sutherland, and
Scottsbluff and McCook battle in the B6 game at 7:00 at WNCC after winning their semifinals last night.

Defending state champ and top seeded Scottsbluff started the evening with a 74-to-55 win against Alliance while McCook cruised past Sidney 75-to-36.

McCook and SB split 2 regular season games and both have a chance to go to state with a little help from Ralston. The wild card standings have Elkhorn South #1, SB #2, Ralston #3, and McCook #4.

Elkhorn South used up one of the 2 wild cards when it was upset last night in the B-2 semis by Gretna, which will play Ralston tonight. A Ralston win would give state berths to both the winner and loser of the SB-McCook game.