By Marisa Dawson

The Bennington Badgers girls basketball team dominated the Crete Cardinals 92-43 in the District B-2 championship game on February 28 at Bennington High School, securing the district title and advancing to the Nebraska Class B State Tournament.

The Badgers, who entered the contest undefeated at 23-0 and improved to 24-0 with the victory, jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. They outscored Crete 22-9 in the first quarter, held a slim 20-19 edge in the second for a 42-28 halftime advantage, then exploded for 25 points in each of the third and fourth quarters while limiting the Cardinals to 10 and 5, respectively. The decisive third-quarter surge turned a comfortable lead into a blowout.

Defensive adjustments were key to the second-half dominance. Head Coach John O’Connor highlighted the shift after a foul-plagued first half. “We started guarding without fouling,” O’Connor said. “I think we had a billion fouls in that first half and they were right. You know, we weren’t moving our feet. We were reaching. And I think once we started guarding without fouling, that really helped us out defensively, which then led to our offense.”

Bennington’s balanced attack and team chemistry shone through, with multiple players stepping up. Standouts included Haydin Jackson with 22 points and 8 assists, Macie Reiner with 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists, and Harper Bohaboj and Taylor Redmond each contributing 9 points along with strong playmaking.

O’Connor praised the group’s collective effort. “I think the girls have had great team chemistry all day, and when they take one player away, another girl steps up,” he said. “I think our defensive effort was great… And I’m just proud of our effort, everybody playing as a team, and playing their role as best as they can.”

Senior Reese Almquist (pictured below) shared the excitement of reaching state in her final season. “I’m really excited,” Almquist said. “I think we’re all really confident in our abilities, and I think we’re going to do really well at State.”

She added on the significance of making it all the way: “It would mean absolutely everything. We’ve gotten a little bit closer each year, and I really feel like this year’s our year.”

“What makes you the most excited heading into next week?” she was asked. “Just being able to play with my teammates one last time.”

Junior Harper Bohaboj (pictured below) focused on preparation and pride in representing the school. “I think we’re just really enjoying our last few days that we had together at practice and really fine tuning our last details to be prepared for state,” Bohaboj said. “I think we’ll be ready to go with a lot of adrenaline and fire.”

On personal focus, she shared, “Personally, I think I want to work on free throws for when it gets to the state tournament and it gets loud down there. Then obviously just really good chemistry with the girls is the most important thing.”

She continued to explain what makes her excited for state: “I think it’s a chance to represent Bennington and that’s something that I always wanted to do. We have big goals for the end of the season. We have high expectations for this group and I think that’s been known. And we always see the pressure of the privilege. We’re ready to go showcase that at the state tournament in Lincoln.”

With rankings favoring Bennington as a top contender, O’Connor kept the focus narrow. “Don’t worry about that,” he said of talk of finals appearances. “Just worry about one day at a time. Obviously, once you get down to State, everybody’s good and everybody you’re going to play, you’re going to get their best shot. We can’t worry about Friday, Saturday, anything like that. We just want to enjoy this one today and then get ready for the next one.”

The Badgers now turn their attention to the state tournament at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, where they are scheduled to face #7 Scottsbluff on March 5 at 6 p.m. in the opening round. After a break marked by snow days and limited games, the team is eager to build on this momentum. “It’s been nice to get back out on the court and obviously get a big win today to be able to go to State. And then you just want to be playing your best basketball right now, so hopefully we can,” O’Connor said.