BOYS DISTRICT BASKETBALL: Hilkemann’s Buzzer Beater Boosts Southeast to State Over Prep

OMAHA–(KFOR Feb. 26)–If you gave a role to Jake Hilkemann on the basketball court, you may consider him an enforcer and team player.

The 6-4 Lincoln Southeast senior forward also became a hero for the Knights, as Hilkemann hit a turnaround 15-foot jump shot with three seconds left to give Southeast a 40-38 overtime win over Creighton Prep to earn the A-5 boys district basketball championship and an automatic berth into the NSAA Boys State Basketball Tournament Mar. 6 through 9 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

It’s the second year in a row that the Knights rolled into Prep’s famed Heider Center (aka the Birdcage) to win a district title.  Southeast got a 47-42 win over the Junior Jays in last season’s district final.

Hilkemann only scored six points in the game for the Knights, who improved to 19-7, and grabbed eight rebounds.  His game-winning basket came after Southeast tied the game at 38 with 2:38 left in overtime when senior guard Taye Moore scored.  Mikey Ngoyi led the Knights with 11 points and Moore added 10 points.

Prep (17-7) forced overtime when 6-6 forward Dillon Claussen scored on a layup with two seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 36.  Southeast had a five point lead with two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the fourth before the Junior Jays rally.

Claussen led all scorers with 17 points for Prep, while Trinell Parker added 10 points for the Junior Jays, who could still qualify for State with a wildcard berth, if Lincoln Pius X defeats Omaha Central in Tuesday’s A-6 championship game and Kearney edges Gretna in the A-7 final.

Click the link below to hear the podcast of Monday’s game.

Boys A-5 District Basketball Final: Lincoln Southeast at Creighton Prep 2-26-24