MUDECAS 2016 Recap

The MUDECAS Basketball Tournament held in Beatrice, Nebraska is pretty cool. This year's contest was the 87th year with 32 total teams (two divisions of 8 teams, boys & girls). And as part of my regular season sports freelancing, I photographed this event for the Beatrice Daily Sun. 

This meant that I was visiting the SCC location, home of the B Division action. You'll see photos from Day 1 (Monday) Girls B Action, then Day 2 (Tuesday,) Boys B Action, following by Day 3 (Thursday, Boys & Girls B Semifinal games) and then the championship games on Day 4 & 5 (Friday/Saturday). 

And the last two days I got to visit the Beatrice City Auditorium. It's definitely an old school building. And a lot of inconveniences (bathrooms are lacking in number & quality), parking is always a scramble and space is overall limited. But it provides a fantastic scene for basketball. With its vintage seats, stage for press, and big old drape-covered windows, it is oozing with character and I love it. 

To start, here's a tipoff photo between Sterling & Pawnee City -- but it's not the opening tip. This was the tipoff for the starting of the third (of four total) overtimes. These two teams were battling it out for the Boys B Division Championship, and with fans waiting in the halls for the A Division game, the place was probably as full as I've seen since 2013. 

I know you probably are tired of all of the sports photos. But it is one of my favorite things to photograph -- plus it works great with my schedule. So, on with the photos! Thanks for checking out my recap of the 87th MUDECAS Basketball Tournament. And congrats to all of the teams including the champions: Bruning-Davenport-Shickley (Boys A Division), Sterling (Boys B Division), Falls City Sacred Heart (Girls A Division) and Meridian (Girls B Division).

Sterling's Thomas Tucker (40) and Pawnee City's Andrew Davis (45) fight for the tipoff of the third overtime as the Sterling Jets defeat the Pawnee City Indians, 49-47 (4OT), in the Boys B Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 16, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb.

Palmyra's Abbie Frazee (right) dribbles in front of Southern's Emily Zvolanek (left) as the Southern Lady Raiders defeat the Palmyra Lady Panthers, 35-34, in the first round of the Girls B Division of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 11, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Palmyra's head coach Sadie Struebing (right) talks to a referee during the final seconds of the game as the Southern Lady Raiders defeat the Palmyra Lady Panthers, 35-34, in the first round of the Girls B Division of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 11, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb.

Pawnee City's Alex Menninga (right) passes to a teammate in front of Southern's Drake Adams (left) as the Pawnee City Indians defeat the Southern Raiders in the first round of the Boys B Division of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 12, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Meridian's Erin Johnson (15) passes to a teammate as the Meridian Lady Mustangs defeat the Parkview Christian Lady Patriots in the first round of the Girls B Division of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 11, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Pawnee City's Andrew Davis (left) and Southern's Jacob Carpenter (right) fight to control the opening tipoff as the Pawnee City Indians defeat the Southern Raiders in the first round of the Boys B Division of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 12, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. The Pawnee City bench including coaches Tyler Colvin (left) and Alan Strong (right) and senior Taylor Voight (middle) celebrate after a second quarter score as the Pawnee City Indians defeat the Southern Raiders in the first round of the Boys B Division of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 12, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Meridian's Garrett Klipp (left) blocks the shot of Sterling's Logan Jasa (right) as the Sterling Jets defeat the Meridian Mustangs in the first round of the Boys B Division of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 12, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Meridian's Bridgette Jackson (right) drives past defender Olivia Farwell (left) as the Meridian Lady Mustangs defeat the Pawnee City Lady Indians, 38-22, in the semifinals of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 14, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Pawnee City's Lydia Gyhra (middle) cannot control a loose ball behind Meridian's Allison Klipp (left) and Bridgette Jackson (right) as the Meridian Lady Mustangs defeat the Pawnee City Lady Indians, 38-22, in the semifinals of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 14, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Sterling's Dylan Benson (left) steals the ball from Palmyra's Koby Dillon (right) as the Sterling Jets face the Palmyra Panthers in the semifinals of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 14, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Sterling's Dylan Benson (3) watch his three-point attempt as the Sterling Jets face the Palmyra Panthers in the semifinals of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 14, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Sterling fans react to a three-point basket by Erika Goracke (left) near the end of the second quarter as the Sterling Lady Jets face the Falls City Sacred Heart Lady Irish in the Girls A Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 15, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Sterling's Taylor Cockerill (right) drives along the baseline as Falls City Sacred Heart's Maggie Goltz (left) defends as the Sterling Lady Jets face the Falls City Sacred Heart Lady Irish in the Girls A Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 15, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Falls City Sacred Heart's Abby Fiegener (21) and Alexis Barnes (32) celebrate as the Falls City Sacred Heart Lady Irish defeat the Sterling Lady Jets in the Girls A Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 15, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Falls City Sacred Heart's Haylee Heits (middle) cannot grab a rebound over Sterling's Taylor Cockerill (left) as the Falls City Sacred Heart Lady Irish defeat the Sterling Lady Jets in the Girls A Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 15, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Diller-Odell's Paige Vitosh (left) dribbles around the perimeter as Bruning-Davenport-Shickley's Tristen Mosier defends as the Diller-Odell Lady Griffins defeat the Bruning-Davenport-Shickley Lady Eagles, 45-34, in the Girls A Division third place game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 15, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Meridian's Erin Johnson leads the Lady Mustangs down the floor as Meridian defeats the Johnson-Brock Lady Eagles, 45-30, in the Girls B Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 15, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Meridian's Allison Klipp (right) grabs a rebound between Johnson-Brock's Fallon Stutheit (54) and Terra Newman (20) as the Meridian Lady Mustangs defeat the Johnson-Brock Lady Eagles, 45-30, in the Girls B Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 15, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Johnson-Brock's Makayla Damme passes the ball during the second half as the Meridian Lady Mustangs defeat the Johnson-Brock Lady Eagles, 45-30, in the Girls B Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 15, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Meridian's Crystal Nunez (left) and Allison Klipp (right) celebrate as the Meridian Lady Mustangs defeat the Johnson-Brock Lady Eagles, 45-30, in the Girls B Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 15, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Meridian's Erin Johnson (right) advances the ball across the court in front of Johnson-Brock defender Makayla Damme (left) as the Meridian Lady Mustangs defeat the Johnson-Brock Lady Eagles, 45-30, in the Girls B Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 15, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Freeman's Holden Scott (33) and Bruning-Davenport-Shickley's Kale Kleinschmidt (2) jump for the opening tipoff as the Bruning-Davenport-Shickley Eagles defeat the Freeman Falcons, 53-36, in the Boys A Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 16, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Bruning-Davenport-Shickley's Riley Tegtmeier (3) signals his made three-point basket at the end of the first quarter as the Bruning-Davenport-Shickley Eagles defeat the Freeman Falcons, 53-36, in the Boys A Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 16, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Bruning-Davenport-Shickley's Caden Norder (middle) dribbles around a screen by teammate Ben Elzinc (left) as the Bruning-Davenport-Shickley Eagles defeat the Freeman Falcons, 53-36, in the Boys A Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 16, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Bruning-Davenport-Shickley's Riley Tegtmeier (left) reacts from contact as Freeman's Calan Sedlacek (right) defends as the Bruning-Davenport-Shickley Eagles defeat the Freeman Falcons, 53-36, in the Boys A Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 16, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Sterling's Dylan Benson (3) leads the Jet offense in front of Pawnee City defender Andrew Davis (45) as the Sterling Jets defeat the Pawnee City Indians, 49-47 (4OT), in the Boys B Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 16, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Sterling's Micah Erickson (44) tips away a ball over Pawnee City's Alex Memminga (13) and Andrew Davis (45) during the first overtime as the Sterling Jets defeat the Pawnee City Indians, 49-47 (4OT), in the Boys B Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 16, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Pawnee City's Ted Gyhra (23) draws a foul by Sterling's Micah Erickson (44) in the closing seconds of the second overtime as the Sterling Jets defeat the Pawnee City Indians, 49-47 (4OT), in the Boys B Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 16, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Pawnee City's Alex Menninga looks at the scoreboard prior to teammate Ted Gyhra's game-tying free throws in the second overtime as the Sterling Jets defeat the Pawnee City Indians, 49-47 (4OT), in the Boys B Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 16, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Sterling's Thomas Tucker (40) watches his game-winning basket go in as the Sterling Jets defeat the Pawnee City Indians, 49-47 (4OT), in the Boys B Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 16, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Teammates surround Thomas Tucker as the Sterling Jets defeat the Pawnee City Indians, 49-47 (4OT), in the Boys B Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 16, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb. Sterling's Thomas Tucker (right) celebrates with teammate Micah Erickson (left) as the Sterling Jets defeat the Pawnee City Indians, 49-47 (4OT), in the Boys B Division Championship Game of the MUDECAS Tournament on Jan. 16, 2016, in Beatrice, Neb.