• Video: Highlights from the Chadron-Minden game:



• Photo Showcase: Friday's semifinals

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LINCOLN — While 6-foot-11 center Elliott Eliason remains the big man for Chadron, it was 6-5 senior forward Zach Bargen who was the key player Friday for the top-ranked Cardinals.

Bargen scored 23 points and pulled down nine rebounds to lead Chadron to a 55-47 victory over seventh-ranked Minden in a Class C-1 semifinal of the boys state basketball tournament. The 24-2 Cardinals advance to Saturday's 11:30 a.m. championship game at the Devaney Center for the third time in four years while the Whippets will play a consolation game Saturday at 10 a.m.

The game was a rematch of the district final, won by Chadron 42-34. But Minden came out much stronger offensively Thursday and put a scare into the Cardinals.

The Whippets hit nine 3-pointers in the game and rode that long-range shooting to a 17-14 lead after one quarter and a 30-26 halftime advantage. Sophomore guard Derek Kissinger did much of the damage in that first half, sinking four 3-pointers.

“I was very concerned at halftime,'' Cardinals coach Craig Nobiling said. “I told our guys that if they kept hitting shots from way out there, we were going to be in trouble.''

Bargen scored nine points in the third quarter to help spearhead the Chadron rally. He scored the team's first seven points in the quarter and made two hustling plays on defense that led to Minden turnovers.

“The Bargen kid really stepped up,'' Whippets coach Shannon Lovin said. “He was great in the second half.''

Minden still held a 39-38 edge heading into the fourth quarter, but the Cardinals had the momentum. A 3-pointer by Bargen gave them the lead and Chadron never trailed the rest of the way.

The Whippets offense went cold in the final period as Minden sank just 2 of 9 shots from the field. After a pair of free throws by Carson Blum with 6:25 left, the Whippets didn't score again until 1:57 was left and Blum sank a 3-pointer.

By then, Chadron had opened up an eight-point lead and weren't about to give it up. The Cardinals put the game away at the line, sinking 8 of 9 free throws.

“They had us down by nine and we were able to come back,'' Nobiling said. “That says a lot about our team.''

Alec Holmquist finished with 11 points for Chadron, while Eliason, a Minnesota recruit, scored nine points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
Kissinger led Minden with 12 while Max Anderson added 11 and Blum 10.

Minden (19-5)............17 13  9  8—47
Chadron (24-2)....................14 12 12 17—55
• M: Max Anderson 11, Carson Blum 10, Ryan Bergstrom 6, Colby Emal 2, Derek Kissinger 12, Pete Trausch 6.
• C: Alec Holmquist 11, Jonathan Lordino 2, Zach Bargen 23, Braden Roes 5, Taylor Hencey 5, Elliott Esiason 9.

Contact the writer:

444-1350, mike.patterson@owh.com