Seven Games, Seven Players: Important Games for District Play in Class B

It's hard to believe that this week marks the last week of the regular season for all of our classes with the exception of Class A.  After doing some history-teacher math, here are my predictions for the district finals match-ups on Saturday, February 22nd. (16) Seward at (1) Crete (15) Skutt Catholic at (2) Beatrice (14) McCook at (3) Bennington (13) Omaha Mercy at (4) Sidney (12) Norris at (5) Scottsbluff (11) Gross Catholic at (6) Grand Island Northwest (10) Blair at (7) York (9) Platteview at (8) Hastings To reach that point, there are seven really important games this week that could sway those seedings, and the seven important players that could change these match-ups with their performance this week. <strong>Platteview at Columbus (Tuesday, 2/11): </strong>This is a game that Platteview should win, but the Discoverer have been frisky at times this year, beating Elkhorn earlier this year and playing Grand Island Northwest and Norris very tough this season.  Coach Dave Licari's motion offense and match-up zone can catch team's off guard if they are not prepared.  <strong>KEY PLAYER: </strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/halle-johnson/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/halle-johnson/">Halle Johnson</a></a> needs to be the best player on the floor Tuesday night.  Averaging 11 points and seven rebounds a game, Johnson needs to elevate her game to try to key this key win for the Trojans. <strong>Adams Central at Hastings (Tuesday, 2/11):</strong> Hastings has been on fire since the moratorium, going 9-3 since the break, and their losses have been to Elkhorn, Beatrice and North Platte (a loss they avenged last week).  Hastings and Platteview are in a tight race for the eighth spot and home court for what should be a very competitive district final, and if Hastings can win this rivalry game, they have a great chance to clinch that home court advantage.  <strong>KEY PLAYER: </strong>Hastings relies on their stiffling defense, and Lauren Hinrichs is the anchor to that defense.  If she can continue to dominate the glass the way she has done the last few weeks, watch up for the Tigers to continue their hot streak. <strong>Scottsbluff at North Platte (Thursday, 2/13): </strong>The Bearcats are in a dogfight with Grand Island Northwest and Sidney for the 4-5-6 spots, and a win over a Class A North Platte would be huge for Scottsbluff to leap frog one or both of those teams.  These teams met in the conference tournament finals, with the Bulldogs pulling out a 10 point win.  The two extra points that Scottsbluff could acquire with a win could be huge for next week.  <strong>KEY PLAYER: </strong>Yara Garcia is one of the best players in the Nebraska Panhandle, and she will need to step up her game Thursday night against North Platte's outstanding guard <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/gracie-haneborg/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/gracie-haneborg/">Gracie Haneborg</a></a>.  This match-up could turn be the difference for either team. <strong>Bennington at Elkhorn (Friday, 2/14): </strong>Like the Scottsbluff/ North Platte match-up, this is an important game for both teams.  Elkhorn has been the Badgers kryptonite the last two years, defeating them four times, including the Eastern Midlands Conference Championship game two weeks ago.  Both teams will be playing at a high intensity level this Friday.  <strong>KEY PLAYER: </strong>As <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/miley-prine/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/miley-prine/">Miley Prine</a></a> goes, so does the Badgers.  The all-stater and Hasting soccer commit will need to match and perhaps exceed the performance of Elkhorn's Maddy Meehan to give the Badgers the edge on the road. <strong>Beatrice at Grand Island Northwest (Friday, 2/14): </strong>In the biggest match-up of Class B teams this week, this game could have massive consequences on district final seedings.  Grand Island Northwest is 16-5 this season; 16-2 against everyone else, but 0-3 against Crete.  For Beatrice, a win here would all but clinch the 2-seed for the district final.  <strong>KEY PLAYER: </strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/whitney-brown/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/whitney-brown/">Whitney Brown</a></a> is having an outstanding senior campaign, but there have been a couple of recent games in which she has struggled.  If she struggles, the Viking offense slows down considerably.  Beatrice will gear its game plan to slow down Brown, a Nebraska walk-on. <strong>Sidney at Chadron (Friday, 2/14): </strong>Similar to the Scottsbluff/ North Platte and Bennington/ Elkhorn match-ups, this is a game where two teams from two different classes are going head to head and both teams are battling for valuable wild card point and home court in the postseason.  We previewed this game in our weekly article, and it should be a great match-up in Chadron.  <strong>KEY PLAYER: </strong>Senior Mattie Johnson has been the catalyst for the Raiders resurgence after a slow start, and her teammates will be looking to her to keep things rolling Friday night in what is sure to be a hostile environment in Chadron. <strong>Norris at Lincoln Christian (Saturday, 2/15): </strong>Of the teams that are in the lower half of the seeding, Norris is probably the one that the higher seeds want to avoid.  The Titans have been hit with a tough schedule and injuries, but they are starting to round into form at the right time.  A road win at an outstanding Lincoln Chrisitan squad's backyard could throw some big wrenches into the seedings.  <strong>KEY PLAYER: </strong>Central Missouri State commit Breanna Stai needs to be the leader for Norris.  At times terrific this year, but at other times not as effective, Stai needs to at least hit her 13 point a game average and perhaps exceed it to give the Titans a chance Saturday.