Stephanie Croston

    The Class B girls' state basketball tournament didn't go as well as the Seward Bluejays wanted.
     The Jays couldn't overcome Elkhorn's defense and lost in the opening round 41-36.
     "We knew they'd be difficult to handle," SHS Coach Tom Tvrdy said. "They are a strong, physical, experienced team."
     He said Elkhorn was probably the worst match-up for the Jays in the tournament. On the other hand, the Elkhorn coach told him that this was the best game the Antlers had played this season.
     Elkhorn is a senior-dominated team with five senior starters who have started since they were freshmen and sophomores, Tvrdy said. They also had two post players who were 6-0 and 6-1 and who gave Seward's post players trouble inside, he said.
     Thirty-six points is the second lowest point total for the Jays this season. The lowest was 35 in a win over Crete Feb. 15.
     Elkhorn held a brief 1-0 lead in the first quarter, but then Seward surged ahead and held a 16-12 advantage at the half.
     In the second half, however, the Antlers proved to be too much, outscoring SHS 29-20. Elkhorn took its second lead with 7:30 to play in the fourth quarter and didn't let Seward back in front for the rest of the game.
     "We just couldn't hit shots and that was the difference in the game," Tvrdy said. "We had a cold shooting night, and that did us in."
     The Jays connected on just four of 19 three-point shots in the game.
     "If we hit a couple more, we win," Tvrdy said.
     Natasha Mueller led the Jays with 10 points, and Megan Schmidt added seven. Emily Cady and Alyssa Kamphaus each scored six for the Jays.
     Seward ended its season with a 20-2 record, with both losses coming to teams in the state tournament field-Elkhorn and Holdrege.
     "We exceeded our expectations," Tvrdy said.
     The Jays will graduate five seniors-Schmidt, Mallory Suhr, Hailey Behlen, Heather Post and Jessica Owens. Tvrdy said the group kept the team unified and together throughout the season.
     He said Schmidt is the only athlete who plans to play basketball in college. She will play for Concordia University.
     "There will be big shoes to fill," Tvrdy said. "They showed how to be sacrificial leaders."
     Tvrdy said the Bluejays' play will change next year to a more up-tempo style with quicker, more athletic shooters. He said the team will employ more full-court presses.