Bergan buttons up Pender in second half, books return trip to state semifinals 

LINCOLN – The reigning C2 champions are one step closer to defending their title. #2 Bergan Catholic (26-1) shut down #7 Pender (22-6) in the second half, and the Knights booked a spot in Friday’s C2 semifinals with a comprehensive 71-43 win in the quarterfinals on Wednesday afternoon at the Devaney Center.  

Pender’s Zander Welsh hit a shot to tie the game at two apiece about a minute-and-a-half into Wednesday’s quarterfinal. But once Cale Sheets scored the next five points for the Knights, the game was never tied again. Bergan led for all but 1:49 of the contest in a near wire-to-wire win. 

Bergan led by five at the end of the first quarter, doubled that to ten at halftime (38-28), and then put the clamps down on the Pendragons in the second half: Bergan scored as many points in the fourth quarter (15) as Pender did over the final two quarters, and while the Knights shot 52% from the field both in the second half and over the course of the game, the Pendragons were limited to just 16% from the field in the second half and 26% in the game as they attempted to mount a comeback against the defending champs.  

The Bergan team that won the state title as the #8-seed in this field last year brings back nearly everyone from last year’s roster, and they are all core contributors. Four Knights finished in double figures, led by Sheets (18 points, six rebounds), Gavin Baker (18 points, eight rebounds), Trent Mlnarik (14 points, 7-of-7 FG) and Trey Mooney (13 points, five assists). Carter Hansen paced the Pendragons with 17 points; Welsh and Trevor Trimble combined for 32, but went a combined 7-of-27 from the field. 

Bergan will face either #3 Valentine or #6 Freeman in the C2 semifinals; that game will tip at 3:15 PM CT from the Devaney Center.  

BOX SCORE

Bergan Catholic Full Box Score

Pender Full Box Score