Big Game Coverage: Kearney Tops Marian For State Berth

Ahead of tonight's 38 game slate of district championship games -- and tomorrow's seven Class B games -- there was a single game on Thursday night that gave us the best taste of what the postseason will be like in Nebraska girls basketball over the next eight days.   At Kearney High, one of the great atmospheres in the state, the hometown Bearcats (ranked sixth in Class A) held off Omaha Marian, one of the hottest teams in the state, 67-59 for a trip to next week's state tournament in Lincoln. Official state tournament pairings will be released tomorrow at the conclusion of the Class B contests. The win moved Kearney to 20-3 on the season and they will make their first state appearance since 2017.   Here are five standouts from the A3 district final.    Our second time in person with Garner was better than the first. An elite freshman, Garner's game is already well polished as she is an elite shooter and can also take the ball to the rim off the bound as well as having a good floater when the trees are tall. She was the best player on the floor in this game and it wasn't close as she scored 30 points on 7-for-18 shooting with four triples and made 12-of-13 free throws. Also added two steals and plays with great energy.     It doesn't take long to know why Kuhn is firmly entrenched in the top-three of the Class of 2028 with Nylah Tatum and Payton Dolliver. At 5-9 she's a tall and strong ball handler with some of the best court vision we have seen from anyone in the state this season. Kuhn filled the stat sheet against the Bearcats with 15 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. She finished her sophomore campaign with averages of 16.8 points, 7.5 points and 4.0 assists. Kuhn is another in that class that is a legitimate Division 1 prospect.     Province is an elite athlete that thrives in the fast tempo and hectic nature of the way Kearney plays. Marian had a difficult time keeping her out of the paint early in the game and had to go to more zone and junk defenses to slow down Province. Finished with the championship game with 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Her energy and ability to play the whole game without coming off the floor should get her to the front of college radars.     Much like Sam Hoiberg for the Nebraska men's team, we jokingly called Ganz your <a href="https://x.com/tony_chapman76/status/2027215009252532352?s=20">"favorite player's favorite player"</a> after this one. She can play multiple positions on the floor and can guard from anywhere in Kearney's variety of zone defenses -- up top pressuring guards or in the post. She has great speed and athleticism, also showcased by her three medals at the 2025 state track meet. On Thursday, she had nine points (on just four shots from the field), eight rebounds and six steals. Sam Hoiberg energy.     An impressive 6-footer who has excellent range, Daubendiek made it easy to see why she will translate to the RMAC next year at South Dakota Mines. Finished the season with an 11.3 points per game average and was a 31% 3-point shooter on the season, while also adding 4.5 rebounds per contest. She had 12 points and five rebounds against the Bearcats and help the Crusaders to a 14-10 overall mark that saw them go 10-2 over their final 12 games.

Ahead of tonight's 38 game slate of district championship games -- and tomorrow's seven Class B games -- there was a single game on Thursday night that gave us the best taste of what the postseason will be like in Nebraska girls basketball over the next eight days.