After defeating Bellevue East, Creighton Prep’s varsity basketball season ended with losing to #6 Bellevue West in the A-7 district finals. The Junior Jays needed victories from the other six district hosts to make the state tournament. Unfortunately, Omaha Westside, Omaha Westview, and Lincoln Northeast were all upset on one of the wildest nights in Nebraska high school basketball history. After starting the season ranked third and consistently hanging inside the top ten, this loss marks the end of one of the more disappointing seasons in the history of varsity basketball.

The district semifinals against Bellevue East was one of the most dominant performances of the season. The Junior Jays opened on a 9-2 run and never gave the lead back, defeating the Chieftains 82-37. Guard Cooper Knight led the way for the Junior Jays, scoring 17 points, three steals, and a pair of blocks. Junior Jay Forward Max Jungers stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists, four steals, and three blocks. Chieftain leading scorer Kris Brown scored 10 but was held to 4-16 from the floor.

There were two main factors contributing to Prep’s dominance: turnovers and rebounding. Bellevue East was forced into 18 turnovers while the Junior Jays only had five. The Junior Jays’ fast-paced play allowed them to capitalize on these turnovers, often getting easy buckets in transition. The Junior Jays also dominated the glass, winning the rebound battle 35 to 24 and hauling in 13 offensive boards. Turnovers and rebounding allowed the Junior Jays to take 14 more shots than the Chieftains.

After a phenomenal performance against Bellevue East, it all came crashing down in the season finale against Bellevue West in a 70-54 loss. The Thunderbirds led throughout the evening after outscoring the Junior Jays 19-10 in the first frame. Thunderbird guard Keaton Melcher scored a game-high 18 points, going a blazing six for seven from deep. Bellevue West’s star big Robert Garcia scored 15 and had a game-high 24 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end. Knight and Trinell Parker led the way for the Junior Jays with 10 each.

This was a devastating loss for the Junior Jays. It felt like they were stuck in mud throughout the evening, unable to spark a run. This was largely due to the Junior Jays shooting 32% from the floor and four for 23 from beyond the arc. The Junior Jays’ leading scorers throughout the season, Parker, Jungers, and Knight, finished a combined 10 for 34 from the floor. Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds shot 50% from the floor and 43% from deep.

Outside of the stats, this loss was depressing. Each time the Junior Jays gained some momentum, the Thunderbirds would respond with a quick burst of their own. A lack of consistent offense prevented the Junior Jays from clawing back, and the deficit gradually increased. After the first quarter, all of the energy left the building. As the reality set in that the Thunderbirds would ease their way to victory, along with the fact Omaha Westside, Omaha Westview, and Lincoln Northeast were all trailing in their district finals, a feeling of dread fell upon the Heider Center.

This district finals loss caps one of the more disappointing seasons in Creighton Prep basketball history. The storyline of this season is what could have been. The Junior Jays started the season hot but struggled to keep their stars on the floor. Trinell Parker, Torran Carter-Brown, Ayuel Deng, and Kyle Tuberick all missed multiple games, mostly late in the season. This caused the Junior Jays to win only 16 games, their lowest since the 2013-2014 season, fall in the district final for the third straight year, and miss the state tournament for the second time in the past three years.

Despite this, there’s still reason to be optimistic about Creighton Prep basketball. The Junior Jays were ranked in the top ten throughout this season for good reason. When the Junior Jays had their full roster, they were among the top teams in the state. Fortunately, the Junior Jays are returning their whole roster aside from Parker and guard Tate Mueller. A full offseason to recover and build chemistry should do wonders for this Creighton Prep squad that should be ranked among the top of class A next season.

So no, the Junior Jays did not make the state tournament and struggled late in the season, but there’s a bright future for this squad. They showcased they can compete with anybody in the state and that they’ll be a force to be reckoned with next season.