Skutt Catholic wins back-to-back Class B state championships, defeating Norris 70-63

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Skutt Catholic won their second-consecutive Class B state championship Saturday, defeating Norris 70-63.

The win marks the Skyhawks sixth title in program history.

“Just the feeling after we won, it was a sigh of relief,” said junior guard Dylan Van Dyke. “The happiest I’ve ever been.”

The Skyhawks threw the first punch, starting the game on a 7-2 run, punctuated by a Brock Scholl breakaway dunk. Second-seeded Norris closed the first quarter with an 8-0 burst to take a 14-11 lead into the start of the second quarter.

Skutt Catholic came out firing from that timeout, connecting on four three-pointers on their first five possessions of the quarter to pull in front 23-19, ultimately taking a 27-24 lead into halftime.

After scoring nine points in the third quarter alone, Scholl opened scoring for the fourth frame with a second chance lay-in that gave the Skyhawks a 49-39 edge, their largest of the game.

But the Titans mounted a comeback. Twice, Norris’ Evan Greenfield turned Skutt Catholic turnovers into breakaway layups, part of a 9-0 run to creep within one at 54-53 with 4:00 left.

Thirteen seconds later, Scholl answered with a jumper. On the other end, the ball skipped away from a driving Greenfield. Senior Will O’Doherty dove head-long for the loose ball, setting Van Dyke up for a corner three that re-established a six-point lead that would hold the rest of the way.

“Just very proud of this group and where they’ve come throughout the year,” said head coach Kyle Jurgens. “It’s always fun when you feel as a coach like you’ve got to the point where you’re playing your best basketball down the stretch, and I think we were.”

Scholl finished with a game-high 22 points and 12 rebounds. Van Dyke tallied 15 points and was a perfect 3-for-3 from long range. O’Doherty scored 14 points and added four assists while Kyle Cannon had 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting.

Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.