Elm Creek uses relentless defense to take down Cross County 47-21

The Elm Creek girls basketball team used a strong second half and tough defense to defeat Cross County 47-21 in the Class D-1 state quarterfinals.

March 6, 2026Updated: March 6, 2026
By Michael Shively

COACH INTERVIEW

CHELSEA KOTTICH INTERVIEW

LINCOLN — The Elm Creek girls basketball team used a strong second half and tough defense to defeat Cross County 47-21 in the Class D-1 state quarterfinals.

The victory sends the Buffaloes to the semifinals against the winner of Howells-Dodge vs. Maywood-Hayes Center. This marks the second straight year in the semifinals for Elm Creek, which finished as runner up in 2025.

Both teams got off to a sluggish start, with Cross County leading 6-5 after one quarter. Elm Creek took the lead in the second quarter and never looked back. The Buffaloes scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, equalling the Cougars’ output for the entire game.

Elm Creek limited Cross County to 1-15 shooting from beyond the arc and just 10.5% shooting overall.

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