Conference basketball tournament tips off Saturday

Basketball enthusiasts will find plenty of opportunities to watch area teams in action, beginning Saturday, as the 2023 Niobrara Valley Conference Tournament tips off.

Opening-round games will be played at Elkhorn Valley and Elgin Public.

Boys' bracket

The first boys' game will feature the Boyd County Spartans and North Central Knights. They will tip off at 2 p.m., at Elgin Public. The Spartans enter as the number eight seed and North Central is the ninth seed.

St. Mary's will meet CWC at 5 p.m. The Cardinals are seeded sixth, while the Renegades enter as the 11th seed.

At 6:30 p.m., in Elgin, the fifth-seeded EPPJ Wolpack squad will face Niobrara/Verdigre.

In Tilden, West Holt, seeded seventh, will meet Neligh-Oakdale at 3:30 p.m. The Warriors are seeded 10th.

Winners of first-round games will advance to Monday's quarterfinals, scheduled to be played at Santee and EV.

At 6 p.m., on Jan. 30, the top-seeded Santee team will face the winner of the Boyd County v. North Central matchup at Santee. At 7:30 p.m., the fourth-seeded Stuart Broncos will tip off against the EPPJ v. N/V winner.

At Elkhorn Valley, the host Falcons, entering as the second seed, will play either WH or N-O at 6 p.m. Summerland will play the winner of the SMH v. CWC game. The Bobcats begin tournament play as the third seed.

Girls' bracket

West Holt and Santee will tip off at 2 p.m., at Elkhorn Valley. The Lady Huskies enter as the eight seed, Santee, ninth.

Stuart's Lady Broncos, seeded seventh, will meet the 10th-seeded North Central Knights at 5 p.m.

The nightcap, starting at 6:30 p.m., will feature the EV Lady Falcons, seeded fifth, against the 12th seed, N-O.

In Elgin, the sixth-seeded Lady Spartans from Boyd County will tip off against CWC at 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday's quarterfinals will be played at St. Mary's and Niobrara.

The number one seed, St. Mary's, will tip off against the WH v. Santee contest winner at 6 p.m., at SMH.

Summerland, the fourth seed, will play either EV or N-O, with a 7:30 p.m. tip.

In Niobrara, the second-seeded N/V Cougars will meet the winner of the Stuart v. North Central game. Start time is slated for 6 p.m.

That game will be followed by the EPPJ Wolfpack playing either Boyd County or CWC at 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals

All semifinal games will be played at Elkhorn Valley, Thursday, Feb. 2. Girls' games will be played at 2 and 3:30 p.m. Boys' contests will tip off at 5 and 6:30.

Championships

Consolation and championship games are slated to be played Feb. 4, in Niobrara.

The girls' consolation game is set for a 2 p.m. start, followed by the boys' match for third at 3:30 p.m.

Championship Saturday continues with the girls' finale slated to start at 5 p.m., followed by the boys' game at 6:30.

Admission to games will be $6 for adults and $4 for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Only tournament passes will be accepted.