Tigers Headed For Class D2 State Championship

On Friday, March 6th, 2026, the #1 in Class D2 played #5 Archangels Catholic in the NSAA Girls State Basketball Semifinals. This matchup was played in the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Tigers came away victorious, winning big, 45-25 to head to the Class D2 NSAA Girls State Basketball Championship Game. Scoring was hard to come by in the first quarter, but the Tigers led 8-4 heading to the second period. DCS forced turnovers, got some easy layups, and their defense was tough.

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Scoring was hard to come by in the first quarter, but the Tigers led 8-4 heading to the second period. DCS forced turnovers, got some easy layups, and their defense was tough.

To begin the second quarter, the Tigers went on a 4-0 run in the first minute. They claimed a 12-4 lead, and the Defenders had to take a timeout. Offensive rebounding was a big key for DCS as they created second chances left and right. They were flying to the ball and creating opportunities for themselves. The Tigers pressed forward, leading 19-7 with 2:45 to go before halftime, and forced Archangels Catholic to take another timeout. The Tigers had a solid lead at the intermission, 23-9.

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Out of the half, Ava Lutz hit a three from the left wing to extend the lead and set the tone early. The Tigers kept their foot on the gas and led 36-17 heading to the fourth.

This was an absolute team win for DCS. They had to battle some foul trouble and some struggles shooting, but the Tigers made plays on defense to create some great offensive opportunities. In the fourth quarter, the Defenders found a bit of momentum, but DCS ran away with a 45-25 win, advancing to the state championship.

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The Tigers are in their 7th state tournament run. The last time they qualified for state was in 2020, when they fell to CWC in the first round. The last time they were in the title game was in 2019, where they fell to Archbishop Bergan. The Tigers have been State Runner-Up in Class D1 in 2015, 2017, and 2019. Stratton qualified for state in 1998, winning their first round game, but losing in the semis.

For DCS, they are on a mission to win their first-ever state championship in Dundy County Stratton school history.

Check out our pregame interview with Abi Spargo and postgame interview with Emily Schack.

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Archangels Catholic was led by Jayda Krings with nine points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals; Kali Jarosz had six points, seven rebounds, and two steals; Eva Klassen had six points, three rebounds, and three assists; and Whitney Egender had eight rebounds and three steals.

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DCS was led by Abi Spargo with 15 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and five steals; Emily Schack had nine points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks; Clara Spargo had eight points, eight rebounds, and three assists; Ava Lutz had seven points, four rebounds, and two steals; and Kimberly Escobar had six points.

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The Defenders are now 18-10 and will face #2 Red Cloud in the consolation game at 9:00 A.M. CT at Lincoln Southeast on Saturday.

The Tigers are now 27-1 and will advance to the State Championship game at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Saturday morning at 9:00 A.M. CT against #6 Wynot.

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