Southern Valley wins C-2 state basketball title

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Southern Valley's big man came up big for the Eagles at the Class C-2 State Basketball Championships.

The result was a huge overtime win and Southern Valley's first state boys basketball championship in school history.

Spencer Kucera, a 6-foot-9 senior, scored 20 points to lead the Eagles to a 38-34 win over Sutton in the C-2 championship finals. The C-2 title game was played Saturday, March 9, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln.

Kucera also had 21 points in Southern Valley's 58-51 victory over Freeman in the state tournament semifinals Friday, March 8 at Pershing Auditorium in Lincoln.

Kucera shot nearly 50 percent from the floor in the championship finals. He scored 11 points in the opening half to boost the Eagles to a 21-16 lead at halftime Saturday. The senior also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds, and he blocked three Sutton shot attempts.

Dakota Best added 9 points for the Eagles, who finish the season with a 24-3 overall record.

Southern Valley led 27-20 entering the fourth quarter against Sutton. But the Eagles managed just two points in the final period, helping Sutton rally to tie the score and send the contest into extra play.

BEST, ANOTHER Southern Valley senior, came up big in extended play in the finals.

Best put his team ahead for good in the overtime period when he stole a pass and drove for a layup. The Eagles led 33-31. Best added a free throw with 1:05 remaining to give his team a 34-31 advantage.

Sutton was whistled for a travel with just over 40 seconds remaining. Southern Valley broke the press and ran off precious seconds before Sutton could foul to stop the clock. Best hit both free throws for a 36-31 lead with 23 seconds to go.

Hunter Quinn stole a Sutton pass and got the ball to Kucera, who was fouled with 11.7 seconds left. Kucera made one of two free shots to put the Eagles in control at 37-31.

Sutton came back with a 3-point shot by Austan Rath with four seconds left. Southern Valley inbounded the ball to Alex Kaup, who was quickly fouled. Kaup missed the first free throw but hit the second -- his only point of the contest -- with 3.2 seconds remaining.

Sutton couldn't get another shot as Southern Valley started their state championship celebration when the clock ran out.

Rath paced Sutton with 19 points. Sutton finished with a 27-2 record.

The Eagles outscored Sutton by seven points at the charity stripe. Southern Valley made 12 of 21 free throws, while Sutton was just 5 of 8 at the line.

THE EAGLES led 31-26 against Freeman at intermission in Friday's semifinals. Southern Valley stretched the lead to 43-35 entering the final period as Kucera scored 8 points in the third quarter. The winners were outscored 16-15 in the final quarter, but that wasn't enough as Southern Valley advanced to the title game.

Hunter Quinn added 16 points for Southern Valley Friday, including 10 points in the opening half.

Derek Veerhusen had 17 points to lead Freeman.

Sutton beat Hartington Cedar Catholic, 57-42, in Friday's other C-2 semifinal.

Southern Valley opened the C-2 state tournament with a 41-34 win over Lutheran High Northeast Thursday, March 7.

TWO OTHER Gazette area teams lost in first-round play March 7.

Arapahoe bowed out of the D-1 state meet after a narrow 50-47 loss to Paxton.

Wauneta-Palisade also had a strong outing in Class D-2, dropping a 42-37 decision to Leyton March 7.