Wolves, Patriots put on a show in rare cross-class matchup

ELKHORN — It is a rare occasion in any Nebraska high school sport that top teams from different classes square off. On Thursday night, the top two girls basketball squads put on a showcase as Elkhorn North bested Millard South 65-63 in overtime. "It was an amazing win to celebrate with the team," Elkhorn North senior Grace Thompson stated. "We played together, put everything on the floor and stuck to the game plan. We did what we needed to do."Before Thursday’s thrilling battle, the two-time defending Class B State Champions, the Wolves, and the top team in the state, the Patriots, arranged an early season matchup. "There were about five teams that dropped us from our schedule last year," Elkhorn North coach Ann Prince commented. "We were looking for games and we were desperate for games. Millard South had an opening and wanted to play us."

This was Elkhorn North's second tough test of the season. In the second game of the 2022-23 campaign, the Wolves fell to last year's Class B State Runner-up Skutt Catholic 42-35. The early competition has been a good measuring stick for the Wolves, who had to replace three of their five starters from last year's state title squad.
With three new starters and several players taking on larger roles, Elkhorn North has learned through trial by fire. "Losing two starters from last year to graduation and a third to injury when Hannah Nadgwick went down was tough," coach Prince remarked. "It takes a while to build your chemistry and rhythm. To start the season, our defense and rebounding have been fantastic. Our offense leaves a little bit to be desired but we have started to click over the last few games. The kids have started to understand their roles and they compete. "After dropping to 1-1, Elkhorn North won its next three contests to set up the clash of top squads on Thursday.

For senior McKenna Murphy, Thursday's adversary was a familiar opponent. The senior guard spent her first three years at Fremont and faced Millard South on several occasions. "I fit in pretty well and the team accepted me," Murphy noted. "I got my role down and it has been a great season already. I'm excited to keep it going."
Although the calendar read December, Thursday's atmosphere felt more like a March matchup in the state tournament. "It was a great environment," Murphy continued. "The fans were unbelievable and both teams were awesome. We ended up pulling out the win. We stayed focused and got the job done. "The Wolves got off to a hot start thanks to Murphy and Britt Prince. Murphy and Britt Prince combined for 27 points in the first half to lead Elkhorn North to a 32-19 edge.

The Patriots slowly chipped away at the lead and tied the contest at 54-all with under a minute remaining in the fourth. Britt Prince came up big on the defensive end with a huge block on the potential game-winning shot to force overtime. A five-point spurt by Murphy gave the Wolves a 59-55 edge, but Millard South fought back and took its first lead of the evening thanks to a Mya Babbitt 3-pointer. A free throw by Grace Heaney, Reese Booth and Murphy put the Wolves back ahead by two with 31 ticks remaining. Patriot guard Cora Olson knotted the game at 63 with seven seconds remaining, but Britt Prince quickly drove the length of the court, drew the foul on her layup attempt and sank both free throws with one tick left. Babbitt's half-court heave was off the mark as Elkhorn North knocked off the No. 1 team in the state.

"It was really cool to play a Class A team of that caliber and to come out with the win," Thompson commented. "Being able to come together as a team to finish this game with a win is huge. "Thursday's result showed that the gap between Class A and Class B has tightened up. "I think it shows the top of Class B is right there with the top of Class A," coach Prince said. "I think Skutt, Norris and us in particular can compete with any team on any night. We showed that tonight." Players for the victorious Wolves agreed with their mentor. "They all have good players," Thompson added. "If we stick to our game plan, do what we need to do and play as a team; we can compete with anyone on the floor." Although the talent level is not much different, there was one glaring difference between the Class A and Class B rosters.

"I think the biggest difference, and it might be the reason we start slow, is we have a lot of multi-sport athletes," coach Prince stated. "Two of my starters are Division I volleyball players (Booth a University of Northern Iowa commit and Heaney to Purdue) that just got off a state tournament run. Britt (Prince) did cross country and we have several kids that are not full-time basketball players. That takes a bit to get things to click. Most of the Class A teams are one-sport athletes and it's more rare to find multi-sport athletes in Class A." Elkhorn North had little time to celebrate its big win, as the Wolves had a quick turnaround and played Eastern Midlands Conference rival Waverly the next night. Elkhorn North won 65-43. The Wolves look to repeat the same formula of last season, learn from an early loss and build momentum into the later stages of the year as the third-year program looks to go three-for-three in state championships.
"These games are giving us a lot of confidence," Murphy concluded. "Facing top teams like Skutt and Millard South will help prepare us. It will help push us through the rest of the season."