Three Boever girls and two huge basketball games

BROOKINGS, S.D. -- Ana Boever and Bernadette Boever are not the only Worthington natives with the last name Boever competing in a big basketball game this week.

Ana and Bernadette are part of the Worthington Trojans squad, which will be taking on Sauk Centre tonight at 8 p.m. at the Target Center in Minneapolis in the quarterfinals of the Class AA state tournament.

Their sister, Gabby, has a somewhat important game of her own.

Gabby will be traveling to Indiana for an opening-round matchup versus Purdue in the NCAA tournament Saturday as part of the South Dakota State University women's basketball team. The Jackrabbits (24-8) earned an automatic bid thanks to a 78-77 overtime win in the Summit League championship game.

Boever chipped in six points off the bench in the victory.

"It's so overwhelming," Gabby said. "I'm so priveledged to have such a great team and great family support.

"We just need to polish a few things up. We just really need to get our defense stopping them and just play our best basketball and know we can beat them."

Boever is a redshirt freshman at SDSU and averages 2.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in her 14.2 minutes per game for the 13-seeded Jackrabbits.

With Ana and Bernadette having a chance of playing in Minneapolis on Saturday, the Boever family wasn't able to commit to coming to Gabby's game.

"I know my dad and grampa are coming, but I'm not sure who else," Gabby said.

Bernadette and Ana may have to purchase some tickets on the not so legal side if they plan on attending Gabby's game.

"I guess Ana and Bernadette can buy tickets if they want to come," Gabby said. "We had to have our tickets in (Tuesday), so they may have to get their own."

The Boever household has been filled with basketball talk.

"It's crazy," Gabby said. "We just had dinner together and there are so much emotions.

"There's been a lot of driving and a lot of basketball watching."

Then again, sports are always a topic with the Boevers.

"We always have outside games going," Gabby said. "When everyone comes home, it's either a basketball game or a softball game or kickball game. It's just really competitive stuff going on outside."

Gabby was pretty quick to pick the best basketball player in the family.

"Oh, it's me, hands down," Gabby said. "I'm just kidding. We're all very thankful for what we've gotten."

Gabby was at Worthington's section championship to cheer on her sisters and the high school where she scored 1,139 points and averaged 14.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.3 steals and 4.1 assists per game.

"I was at their game and I was so excited for them," Gabby said. "I'll be listening to their game somehow on Wednesday."

She did forget one thing.

"I never really gave them advice for their game," Gabby said. "Good luck."

Daily Globe Sports Editor Chris Murphy can be reached at 376-7328.