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This page: Stories from February and March, 2008

February 5, 2008

Southeast 55, Omaha North 30

February 8, 2008

Lincoln Southeast's Marissa Kastanek (24) blocks a shot by Lincoln Pius X's Lindsay Determan (22) during their game Thursday at Lincoln Southeast.

Third quarter burst lifts Southeast girls

Class A top-ranked Lincoln Southeast and Class B No. 4 Lincoln Pius X had trouble finding any gear, let alone high gear, Thursday night.

When the Knights (19-1) managed to find some traction in the third quarter, however, they rode an 8-minute wave of momentum to sneak past the Thunderbolts.

Marissa Kastanek scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and KK Houser added 11 points to lead Southeast to a 50-46 victory at Prasch Activities Center.

“If we hadn’t let them go on that run in the third quarter, we would have been right there,” Pius X coach Bill Rice said. “We knew it was coming.”

Both teams were hamstrung by poor shooting and a plethora of turnovers throughout the first half.

Pius X (12-2), which got seven points from Natalie Braun in the first quarter and four from Mollie Lacey in the second period, built a 17-15 halftime lead  despite 14 first-half turnovers and 33 percent shooting from the floor.

Southeast, which got five points from Kastanek and four more from Sondrea Smith to stay close, turned the ball over 12 times through two periods, while also shooting 22 percent from the field.

But all that changed in the third period. At least for the Knights.

For as cold as Southeast was in the first half, then again in the fourth quarter, it was as hot in the third period.

Houser hit three three-pointers, Kastanek tallied six points, Katie Birkel chipped in four, and the Knights made good on 11 of 15 shots from the field while rolling up 26 points and streaking to a 41-26 lead after three periods.

“I don’t know how you can play good in one quarter and not good in three and still win,” Southeast coach John Larsen said. “We played pretty good in that one quarter.”

Southeast’s shooting woes returned in the final period,  and the Bolts mounted a final rally when Jordan Searcey connected twice on three-pointers and Alex Grant and Lacey tallied four points apiece. But  a 5-for-7 performance at the free-throw line down the stretch was enough to secure the win for Southeast.

“Frustration set in in the first half and we got a little out of sync offensively,” Larsen said. “We relaxed and got things going in the third quarter.”

LSE, which finished 18-of-52 from the floor, was a combined 7-for-37 in the first, second and fourth quarters. The Knights finished  with 16 turnovers.

Pius X, which had 22 turnovers, went 16-of-49 from the floor.

Searcey led the Thunderbolts with 13 points.

February 16, 2008

Panthers fall to 21-1 Knights

The Norfolk girls didn’t back down early, but Lincoln Southeast pulled away in the second quarter to win 67-33 Friday night.

“Southeast’s pressure hurt us tonight,” Norfolk coach Jeff Mrsny said. “But I liked the way we came out with confidence and played toe-to-toe with the No. 1 team in Class A.”

The Panthers trailed by just two points after the first quarter, but Southeast outscored them 23-6 in the second stanza to open things up.

Samantha Kalin scored 17 points on five 3-pointers to lead Norfolk.

Southeast 67, Norfolk 33

February 22, 2008

Lincoln Southeast 79, Omaha South 13

Katie Birkel knows what the key to state tournament success will be for the Lincoln Southeast girls basketball team.

"The big key is to come out like we did tonight," the 5-foot-8 senior guard said.

All the top-ranked Knights did to earn their 22nd state tourney appearance was force 11 first-quarter turnovers en route to a 62-45 victory against Papillion-La Vista South in the Class A-1 district final Friday night at Millard North. 

February 28, 2008

Katie Birkel (left), KK Houser and Marissa Kastanek lead Southeast into the 2008 State Girls Basketball Tournament.

Birkel, LSE in search of some gold

Pain is just part of the deal when you’re the younger sister and you want to play football and basketball in the back yard with your four older brothers.

That may be why Katie Birkel played almost an entire basketball game her freshman year with a broken wrist. Or why she was running around for a year with a cracked bone in her big toe, an injury that two years ago required an elaborate medical procedure.

The contact the Birkel brothers dished out at home prepared the Lincoln Southeast senior guard well for the physical rigors of taking the ball inside against Class A’s biggest girls basketball players. And the quality of competition Katie faced at home was high. Andy Birkel was the 2003 Prep Athlete of the Year and went on to be a wide receiver at Nebraska and Northern Colorado.

“I didn’t have any other choice but to do sports when I was younger,” said Katie, whose mother, Cherie, played college basketball at Nebraska-Omaha. “I don’t think I had many dolls when I was young.’’

As a senior in high school, she’s now into collecting gold medals. Birkel and her Southeast teammates will have a chance to pick up more gold as the top-ranked Knights look to win their ninth girls state basketball championship in school history.

The 5-foot-8 Birkel has played a major role in the Knights’ 23-1 season, emerging as perhaps the state’s best senior player and living up to the expectations placed on her after signing with North Dakota State last fall. She’s averaging 16 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, leads the team in steals (4.1 per game) and is second in assists (3.0 per game).

Birkel is one of three Division I recruits on the Southeast roster, joining all-state juniors Marissa Kastanek (the Crete transfer who has already committed to North Carolina State) and KK Houser (an offer from Iowa State, but still undecided) in a powerhouse backcourt. But as a four-year starter and a senior, team leadership falls squarely on Birkel’s shoulders.

“Katie’s the only kid I’ve had here at Southeast who’s been a three-year captain. That says a lot,” Southeast coach John Larsen said. “She’s taken her game to another level. Without question, she’s the best senior in the state. I don’t think there’s anyone close. I’d be hard pressed to find anyone in any class who’s played better.”

Or anyone who’s more competitive, something else that rubbed off from her brothers. Birkel was visibly upset after Southeast’s only loss this season, a 51-49 setback at South Sioux City in late January. She’s channeling the frustration of that defeat into positive motivation this weekend.

“I hate losing, especially a game like that when we didn’t come out strong, but still had a chance to win and didn’t finish it,’’ Birkel said. “That loss taught us that we need to come more mentally ready to go and give a consistent effort throughout the game.’’

Because of the injury to her left big toe, Birkel is fortunate to have any type of athletic career. She first noticed something wrong at the end of her freshman basketball season, but then she said the irritation went away. A year later, during districts and state, the pain returned with vengeance.

That’s when doctors discovered part of the bone had broken off and died. It had to be cleaned out and the bone reconstructed. To do that, bone was taken from her shin.

“It was basically a one-shot deal,’’ Birkel said. “If it hadn’t worked, there was nothing else they could’ve done.’’

After five months, including six weeks on crutches another six weeks wearing a boot, Birkel was cleared for athletics, just in time for the start of high school softball in August 2006. In between, however, Birkel missed an entire track season and playing on the Cornhusker Shooting Stars’ select summer basketball team.

“That was tough, I wasn’t used to sitting around like that doing nothing,’’ Birkel said.

During her time of immobility, Birkel worked out in the weight room getting her upper body stronger. Her legs caught up during track season last spring.

She moved into eighth on the state all-time charts in the 400 meters (55.97 seconds), finished second at state in the 200 and anchored a 1,600 relay that broke the state record, a foursome that included Houser.

That track success spawned an increased confidence level that propelled her into a strong summer season with the Shooting Stars, playing in the same backcourt with Houser and Kastanek. It caught the attention of a number of Division I programs.

“That first day of practice, I could tell her confidence level had increased dramatically,” Larsen said. “She was just so comfortable on the court, consistently hitting outside shots, driving to the basket and finishing and being a factor defensively. She’s maintained that high level of play all season.”

And that’s meant headaches for opponents trying to defend the Knights, a team with depth as well as star-power.

Eleven players have started at least one game. 

February 29, 2008

Lincoln SE 59, Papillion-La Vista 41

Lincoln Southeast relied on its pressure defense to squash any possible upset by Papillion-La Vista.

The top-seeded Knights forced 34 turnovers en route to a win in a first-round girls state tournament game at the Devaney Center. Southeast (24-1) moves on to a Class A semifinal tonight at 8:45.

"Against their taller lineup, we thought that we could get some steals," Knights coach John Larsen said. "The defense was definitely the key for us."

Southeast led by 19 midway through the second quarter, but the Monarchs cut that deficit to 10 by halftime. Two early baskets in the third quarter drew Papillion-La Vista within six at 27-21, but that's when the Knights went back to work.

A 15-2 run put Southeast back in command for good. Marissa Kastanek had seven of her game-high 19 points in the third quarter as the Knights took a 46-30 advantage into the fourth quarter.

The Monarchs were able to get within 11 at 49-38, but a 10-0 run by Southeast enabled the Knights to cruise home.

"They're obviously a very tough team," Papillion-La Vista coach Dave Hubert said. "We battled them hard, but it wasn't enough."

Omaha World-Herald

Lincoln Southeast's KK Houser goes up for a shot over Papillion-La Vista's Krista Honken (22) and Sarah Gilbert during the Knights' win Thursday

Lincoln Southeast 59, Papillion-La Vista 41

Dave Hubert doesn’t have a diploma hanging on his office wall, but the Papillion-La Vista coach could make the proper diagnosis on Lincoln Southeast’s KK Houser by watching her zip around the Devaney Sports Center basketball court and looking at the scorebook.

“I’m not a doctor, but she looked healthy to me,” Hubert said. 

After missing last Friday’s district final with a stomach virus that left her dehydrated and weak, the 5-foot-6 junior all-state guard came back strong in the first round of the Class A girls state tournament. Houser dropped in 18 points to help the top-ranked Knights claim a 59-41 victory and move into a 8:45 p.m. semifinal today against Millard North.

“I finally started feeling good yesterday, perfect timing,” said Houser, who was 7-of-14 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the three-point line. “It was hard sitting out, but the doctor told me if I didn’t sit out, I wouldn’t be playing the state tournament. There’s no way I’m missing state.”

When Houser stayed home for Southeast’s 62-45 win over Papillion-La Vista South last week, it was the first missed start in her career. While the Knights (24-1) didn’t seem to miss a beat, Marissa Kastanek said it’s better having the lightning-quick Houser on the court directing the offense and full-court pressure defense.

“With KK out there, the speed of the game is so much faster,” said Kastanek, a junior all-state transfer from Crete who finished with a game-high 19. “We know each other so well. It’s fun having her on the court.’’

The Knights’ full-court pressure defense wasn’t much fun for the Monarchs (13-10), who had more turnovers (32) than shot attempts (29). It was a major factor in Southeast jumping out to a 26-7 lead in the second quarter as seven different Knights contributed offensively.

After the Monarchs got it as close as 29-23 with 5:29 left in the third quarter, the defense sparked a 17-2 run that pushed Southeast’s margin to 46-25. Papillion-La Vista had seven turnovers during that span, which included three-point baskets by Houser, Kastanek and Alyssa Lake.

“Defense carried us tonight when we needed it,’’ Southeast coach John Larsen said. “The effort was good, we didn’t execute offensively as well as we’d like to at times. You don’t want to always rely on that (the full-court pressure defense) to score.”

When the Monarchs made it a half-court game, they were effective. Chelsea Albers, a 6-1 freshman, led Papillion-La Vista with 12 points and seven rebounds. Junior Super-State volleyball player Gina Mancuso added nine points and seven boards.

“I’m proud that our kids never quit after that initial run and got to within six,” Hubert said. “It’s a game of runs with Southeast and they had two huge ones on us. That’s a problem for everyone they play.”

March 1, 2008

Millard North's Hanna Aakre, left, and Lincoln Southeast's Marissa Kastanek try to gain possession. The Knights advanced to the finals with a 66-41 win. 

Knights sharpshooters on target against Mustangs
Thirteen 3-pointers help Lincoln Southeast roll into its state-rcord 13th Class A final.
by Stu Pospisil

Lincoln Southeast dashed Millard North's hopes of finally getting to the Class A girls basketball final with a first quarter fueled by the Knights' transition game and a second quarter that rained 3-pointers.

"Wow," Millard North coach Jeff Ritz mouthed as he walked out of the Devaney Center arena following a 66-41 semifinal loss Friday night.

"They shot the ball very, very well," Ritz said later. "They sped the game up a little bit more than we're used to. When they have athletes like they do, and they start shooting it, it kind of snowballs."

Southeast set an unofficial all-class tournament record with its 13 3-point field goals. The Knights were 7 of 9 on their second-quarter attempts. Marissa Kastanek had four for the game, Haley Lake three and KK Houser, Katie Birkel and Paige Hubl two apiece.

"The second quarter, everything seemed to fall," Southeast coach John Larsen said.

Southeast, which forced nine turnovers in Millard North's 14 first-quarter possessions, rolled into its state-record 13th Class A final. Class A's highest-ranked team (25-1), which is second in the overall Top 10, seeks its ninth state title — and first in five years — at 7 tonight at Devaney against No. 3 Millard West (24-1).

Houser's game-high 15 points, all in the first half, illustrated the contrast in quarters. In the first, the 5-foot-5 junior had five points off three steals and seven points overall. In the second, she made both 3-pointers she launched and a layup.

"The first quarter was better. We went on a bigger run," Houser said. "The second quarter, we didn't play our game and execute as well, but we never let down. Those 3s, we shot lights out today, and we hope we can bring that tomorrow."

Kastanek had 14 points, Birkel 11 and Lake 10.

Millard North had flickering hopes of a comeback when the No. 8 Mustangs (20-5), who play Kearney in a 5 p.m. third-place game at Pershing Center, outscored the winners 8-3 to start the third quarter. Back came Southeast with 3s from Lake and Birkel for a 24-point lead that eventually made it to 64-34.

Omaha World-Herald

Lincoln Southeast defenders Paige Hubl (left) and Katie Birkel (right) force a turnover by Millard North's Jessica Watts during a Class A semifinal Friday at the Devaney Sports Center. Lincoln Southeast won and advanced to its first state final since winning in 2003.

Knights go the distance
Class A top-ranked Southeast hits 13 three-pointers

Lincoln Southeast found the best way to counter Millard North’s 6-foot-7 Melissa MacFarlane was to shoot the basketball from beyond 19 feet, 9 inches.

The top-ranked Knights hit 13 three-pointers, and their full-court pressure defense forced 21 Millard North turnovers en route to a 66-41 victory in the Class A girls state basketball semifinals Friday at the Devaney Sports Center. 

“Who’d want to drive it in to a 6-7 girl. That’s intimidating,” said junior all-state guard KK Houser, who led four Knights in double figures with 15 points, all in the first half as she led Southeast to a 39-16 halftime lead.

Three Knights — Houser, Marissa Kastanek and Katie Birkel — play on the same Cornhusker Shooting Stars select team as MacFarlane, who paced the fourth-ranked Mustangs (20-5) with 13 points.

“They’re big in there, so we had to be patient and work the ball for open looks,’’ Houser said. “We were definitely hot tonight.”

The Knights (25-1) will play for their ninth state title under Coach John Larsen at 7 p.m. Saturday against Millard West.

An 11-2 burst, sparked by nine Millard North turnovers in the first quarter, put Southeast up 15-6 after eight minutes, and the Knights were well on their way.

Southeast then hit five straight threes in the first 3:35 of the second quarter, two each by Houser and Kastanek and one from Paige Hubl, to open up a 30-12 lead. Kastanek added 14 points.

After an 0-for-7 start on three-pointers, Southeast hit 10 of its next 14 three-pointers as the lead grew as large as 30 points in the fourth quarter. Katie Birkel had two three-pointers en route to 11 points. She also had six assists.

Haley Lake, who didn’t score in Southeast’s first-round win against Papillion-La Vista, had 10 points, including three three-pointers.

“Against a good team, the first half was easily our best half of the season,’’ said Larsen, whose team was 24-of-49 (48 percent) from the field and 13-of-31 from three-point territory.

“Our kids are good shooters, and they have the green light if it comes out of the offense. We have a lot of good passers and whenever we reversed the ball, we usually got an open look.”

It could’ve been worse for the Mustangs. Southeast hit 15 threes in a game earlier this season against Fremont, tying the state record the Knights originally set in 1999.

“You never expect anyone to come out and hit 13 threes,” Millard North coach Jeff Ritz said. “Southeast started quickly and dictated everything with their ball movement, shooting and pressure defense. They even outplayed us in the half-court, and I thought we had an advantage there.’’

LSE faces tall task

This is the second straight year for Lincoln Southeast junior Marissa Kastanek to compete in a state championship game. The former Class B all-stater played for Crete last year when the Cardinals lost to Alliance in the Class B championship contest.

“Hopefully, this one will come out a little better,” the North Carolina State recruit said. “It was so exciting to have a second-round game and be in so much control like we were tonight. But none of this puts points on the board tomorrow. We have come out and play like we did tonight, like we did last night and like we have all season.” 

Questions about the Knights playing against teams with tall post players were answered some Friday as Southeast rolled past Millard North 66-41 in the semifinals. While Southeast won’t have to deal with a 6-foot-7 post like they did against the Mustangs, they’ll have Millard West’s 6-foot front line of Heather Pohl, Courtney Janecek and Alison Janecek to contend with.

“I think we’ve overcome that,” Southeast all-state point guard KK Houser said. “They’re going to be physical. We’ll have to be physical right back.”

March 2, 2008

From left, Lincoln Southeast's Haley Lake, KK Houser, and Paige Hubl celebrate after receiving the Class A championship trophy. Lincoln Southeast beat Millard West 60-44.

Knights too good
Lincoln Southeast takes home first title since 2003
by Mike Patterson (photo: Laura Inns)

 The Knights sprinted to an early lead and never gave it up in a 60-44 victory at the Devaney Center. It was the ninth state title for Southeast and the first since 2003.

The win capped a 26-1 season for the Knights, who got major contributions from guards Marissa Kastanek and Katie Birkel. Kastanek scored 11 in the first half and finished with a game-high 23 while Birkel added 20.

"I really felt like we took them out of their offense,'' Southeast coach John Larsen said. "Our kids deserve all the credit because they did a great job out there.''

A disastrous first half helped undo the Wildcats, who finish the season 24-2. Millard West turned the ball over 15 times in the first two quarters - compared to the Knights' one turnover - and was staring at a 14-point halftime deficit.

"We obviously needed to do a better job of taking care of the ball,'' Wildcats coach Kip Colony said. "They're a very good team, and those guards just killed us.''

The ball-hawking trio of Kastanek, Birkel and KK Houser combined for 11 of the team's 14 steals. Many of those thefts were finished off with easy layups at the other end.

"You've basically got three Division I guards out there who can kill you on offense or defense,'' Colony said. "We needed 10 players to guard them.''

Southeast enjoyed another big night from long range, sinking 10 shots from behind the arc. The Knights made 13 3-pointers the previous night in a semifinal win over Millard North.

The Wildcats held their only lead of the game when Alison Janecek sank a layup on Millard West's first trip down the court. But a Kastanek putback, followed by a Kastanek 3-pointer, had the Knights off to the races.

The Wildcats, making their first appearance in the championship game, fell farther behind when Southeast went on a 9-0 run later in the period. Kastanek had 11 in the first quarter as the Knights grabbed a 12-point lead.

That advantage grew to 16 in the second quarter as the Wildcats' turnovers continued to mount. Southeast scored just 13 in the quarter but broke loose for 23 in the third to open up a 28-point advantage.

"We were definitely ready to play tonight,'' Birkel said. "This is something we've been ready for all season, and nobody was going to take it away from us.''

Leading 55-29 after the third quarter, the Knights coasted home. Even the Millard West student section lost its focus, spending most of the final quarter chanting at a blonde in the crowd.

The Southeast section also had its problems. The game ended on an ugly note when several students tried to storm the court and security officials had to intervene.

But it was a satisfying end to a long season for Kastanek, whose transfer from Crete High School was well publicized. She was a member of the losing Crete team in the Class B final last year but finished the season with a win Saturday night.

"I'm glad I was able to help the team on the court,'' Kastanek said. "It's awesome getting this title.''

Omaha World-Herald

Lincoln Southeast's KK Houser drives the lane as Millard West's Amber Lutmer, top, and Heather Pohl look on during their state final.

Kastanek pleased with happy ending
by Nick Rubek (photo: Laura Inns)

The music hadn't even been cued to start the victory celebration, and Marissa Kastanek was perched on top of a ladder, chomping at the bit to cut down a net.

"I wasn't waiting," the Lincoln Southeast junior said.

Not hard to understand coming from Kastanek, the North Carolina State recruit who was held out of action by the Nebraska School Activities Association for the first 16 games of the year due to transfer issues.

The 5-foot-8 guard scored a game-high 23 points as the Knights rolled to a 60-44 win in a Class A girls state basketball championship game that wasn't even that close on Saturday night at the Devaney Center.

That followed a record-setting Friday-night performance and was the biggest margin of victory in a title game since the Knights beat Omaha Bryan by 19 in 1995.

Coach John Larsen sat back like a proud dad as his group built a second-half lead as big as 29.

"These kids have worked so hard to get to this point," Larsen said. "I really saw how motivated they were to go out and finish it tonight."

After hitting an unofficial state tournament record 13 3-pointers in a Friday-night blowout of Millard North, LSE drained 10 from behind the arc on Saturday night. Senior guard Katie Birkel had five of those makes from long range, part of her 20-point effort.

"We've shot this well all year," Birkel said, "but we've played our best basketball here at state. I've seriously thought about this for four years and now it's finally here."

For Kastanek, it ended a season full of headlines and headaches on a positive note. After a Class B runner-up finish last year at Crete, Kastanek was held out after transferring to Southeast.

"I just love to play the game," she said. "The whole thing was hard at times. Thank God I had my parents there."

Lost in Saturday night's box score may have been guard KK Houser. The junior finished with only eight points, nearly six less than her season average, but you couldn't tell from the smile on her face.

The championship ends a 26-1 season with a title, but had Houser harkening back to the Knights' only loss, a 51-49 setback to Class B champion South Sioux City. Does that mean that Houser and company would like another shot at the Cardinals?

"Oh yeah," Houser responded when asked if she'd like a rematch with South Sioux. "Anywhere."

Omaha World-Herald

Finally, a girls state basketball tournament championship game tape Lincoln Southeast’s Marissa Kastanek can watch.

Earlier in the season, Kastanek’s fight to gain eligibility after transferring from Crete in late October gained state-wide notoriety. Saturday night, it was the 5-foot-9 junior’s performance on the Devaney Sports Center court that put her in the Nebraska spotlight.

Kastanek scored 23 points, and senior guard Katie Birkel added 20 to pace the top-ranked Knights to a 60-44 victory against Millard West in the Class A title game. The win capped a 26-1 season for the Knights, who won their ninth state championship, all under Coach John Larsen. Millard West finishes 24-2.

A year ago, things didn’t go as well for Kastanek when Crete lost to Alliance in the Class B title game.

“I watched that tape in October before the season started and it was horrid,” said Kastanek, who also had seven rebounds and seven steals Saturday. “I’ll watch this one every day, if I can.”

Like Southeast’s 66-41 victory against No. 4 Millard North in Friday’s semifinals, the Knights hit on all cylinders. Their full-court pressure defense hounded the taller Wildcats into 25 turnovers, and with the frantic pace of the game, the Knights were either shooting layups or three-pointers.

Southeast’s quickness advantage even neutralized Millard West’s size by chasing down 12 offensive rebounds. That contributed to 23 more shot attempts by the Knights (58-35).

Larsen thought his players saved their best for last.

“The kids were really focused all week in practice and it showed in how they played here (at the tournament),’’ Larsen said. “Defensively, we wanted to pressure them and get the pace of the game up. Offensively, we spread them out, dribble-penetrated and kicked it out for threes. The kids executed it really well.”

One night after hitting 13 three-pointers against Millard North, Southeast buried 10 from beyond the arc in the finals. Birkel led the way with five threes. Kastanek, 10-of-18 from the field, connected on three three-pointers.

Kastanek scored nine of Southeast’s first 11 points as the Knights sprinted to a seven-point lead in the first 3 minutes, 10 seconds. They never looked back.

Southeast led 19-7 after one quarter and 32-18 at intermission. Birkel then helped ice it in the third quarter, exploding for 10   points as the Knights went on a 16-2 spurt in the first four minutes of the period to build a 48-20 cushion. Birkel hit her first three three-pointers of the second half.

“We were hoping they (the Knights) wouldn’t play like they did last night, but they did,” Millard West coach Kip Colony said. “Southeast is the Cadillac of Class A. They’re so quick with three Division I guards, they’re tough to stop. We needed 10 kids to guard them.”

The third member of that backcourt,  junior all-stater KK Houser, sparked the Southeast attack with six assists and three steals to go with eight points. Haley Lake contributed seven points and five assists while nailing all three shots she attempted.

“We bonded so well these last two days,’’ Houser said. “Everyone was scoring and contributing offensively and everyone played great defense. It’s a strong team.’’

Senior Heather Pohl was the Wildcats’ only double-figure scorer, with 15 points. The Wildcats’ inability to get the ball inside to their 6-foot front line of Pohl, senior Courtney Janecek and sophomore Alison Janecek frustrated Colony.

“I thought our high-low was there several times and we just didn’t take advantage of it,” Colony said. “We didn’t get the ball inside as much as I thought we could.’’

Birkel at ease with team
Southeast senior has remained focused on goal

There were times during the Class A girls state tournament that fans might have wondered if the Lincoln Southeast players had eyes in the back of their heads.

The confident, aggressive way the Knights approach the game made it seem as if they always knew where their teammates were and where they were going.

“It’s been more obvious this year that we could read each other,” senior Katie Birkel said. “This is the third year for most of us and I think we’re all just really comfortable with each other on the court and we can sense what each other is doing.”

March 3, 2008

Knights talented enough to repeat

Lincoln Southeast’s command of the Class A girls state basketball tournament field this past weekend left fans and coaches of the other schools in awe.

That trepidation won’t be going away any time soon, not if they checked out the Knights’ roster in the program. Unfortunately for the rest of the teams in the state, Southeast won its ninth Class A title with a young team.

Four starters are back, including future Division I college guards Marissa Kastanek and KK Houser, who will continue playing together this spring and summer on the Cornhusker Shooting Stars select team. Kastanek’s entire arsenal was on display in Southeast’s 60-44 win over Millard West in the state finals as the 5-foot-9 junior North Carolina State recruit went off for 23 points. 

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