By Dale Miller
dale.miller@theindependent.com

"With all the different lineups we've had due to injuries, we had to get some kids used to playing with each other," Anspauch said. "Now we have our (current) starters adjusted and comfortable with each other."

That's just in time.

The Crusaders, who are 17-6 and have won five of six, are only one of three 17-win teams in the five-team subdistrict.

GICC opens play at Kearney High on Tuesday at 6 p.m. against the winner of today's Gibbon/Loup City contest. Ravenna (17-5) and Blue Hill (17-3) battle on Tuesday at 7:45 p.m. in about as challenging a subdistrict semifinal as can be found.

"It's definitely a tough subdistrict," Anspauch said. "I've always had a lot of respect for Ravenna. They're well-coached. Blue Hill has had a lot of success. I expected those two teams to have those records.

"The thing that concerns me is that both are peaking at the right time. They are both playing their best basketball of the year right now."

A regular season schedule that saw Central Catholic face a steady stream of ranked teams should help it during a tough postseason path to the state tournament. The winner of the subdistrict likely would face undefeated Cambridge in the district final.

"Our schedule prepares ourselves for the end of the year," Anspauch said. "It might lead to a few more losses in the regular season. But we not only played tough teams on our schedule, we competed with them."

And what led to GICC's success during that schedule will be the same things that would lead to postseason success.

"As always, we have to get the ball inside to Alicia (Statler)," Anspauch said. "(Guards) Tali (Fredrickson) and Maureen (Stump) have done an excellent job distributing the ball to her in the post.

"We also have to limit our turnovers and we always take pride in playing great defense."

GICC sits fifth in the wild-card points standings. Anspauch said that is nice, but the team is focusing on picking up three straight wins to earn a trip to Lincoln.

"The wild card thing is something you don't mind having in your back pocket," he said. "But we're not so high that (earning a wild card) is a guarantee going into subdistricts.

"We want to earn our way there. It does help that we're up there, but honestly we don't want to rely on having to have this team beat this team and this team lose. We want to win our district and play well."

The subdistrict final is set for Thursday at 7 p.m.

Class D-1

Heartland Lutheran and Nebraska Christian tip off the Class D-1, Subdistrict 5 tournament today at Central City in a 6 p.m. game.

The 3-15 teams met up on Jan. 31 with Nebraska Christian picking up a 37-29 home victory.

"To win a subdistrict game is very important to the program," Heartland Lutheran coach Jerry Schenck said. "We haven't had much chance to work on some things. We were weathered out two days (last) week, but everybody has the weather. I think we're going to be ready for Monday."

The Red Hornets enter the postseason healthy.

"We're in good shape," Schenck said. "We have some sore knees and things like that, but nothing that will keep us from playing the people that I think should be playing the game.

"It's just a matter of the girls wanting it. Talking to them here after the ball game (on Friday), they were wishing that game was (Saturday). They're ready to play. They don't want the season to be over. They've had a hard season, but they're not ready for the season to stop."

The winner advances to face top-seeded Osceola (8-10) Tuesday at 6 p.m.