LINCOLN, Neb.—Maxwell Huerter scored four of his eight points in a 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter and Omaha Creighton Prep held Lincoln Southwest to 26-percent shooting, helping the Junior Jays to a 34-31 victory in the Class A final Saturday at the boys state tournament.
Prep (22-5) won its 11th state championship and first since 1994. It was the lowest-scoring final since 1945.
Huerter scored Prep’s final points with 2:41 left, but Southwest missed its last six shots from the field.
“I’m just thrilled to death. I could have woken up tomorrow and been OK, but the kids would have been heartbroken,” Prep coach Josh Luedtke said. “I’m just thrilled.”
Jake Marvin scored nine points and had 12 rebounds to lead the SilverHawks (23-3).
Kyle Headley scored all seven of his points for the Silver Hawks in the first half. Both teams struggled mightily from the field, and Southwest eked its way to a 17-16 halftime lead.
The SilverHawks made just 7 of 23 shots from the floor over the first two periods. Creighton Prep was just 5 for 21, including 1 of 10 on 3-pointers.
Marvin hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Southwest a 27-25 lead after three quarters.
Prep then went on its decisive run. Huerter connected twice, Scott Criss added a bucket and Caleb Steffensmeier hit a 3-pointer.
Southwest missed three 3-pointers in the final 30 seconds.
“It just didn’t go in the hole,” Southwest coach Duane Baack said. “The kids played their butts off. What else can you say?”
