Travis Giesselmann’s dunk put a two-handed exclamation point on Class B No. 6 Elkhorn’s 56-45 win over Gretna on Friday night at Elkhorn High School.

The jam, which came after a long inbounds pass with a minute left in the game, was two of his game-high 17 points for the Antlers (16-2).

Elkhorn trailed Gretna, last year’s state runner-up in Class B, by three after the first quarter, but Gretna went cold from the field to start the second quarter.

The Dragons (9-7) went six minutes without a bucket and Elkhorn took control of the game.

“They didn’t score again until those two 3s in the last minute or so,” Elkhorn coach Spencer Peterson said. “They didn’t score for almost seven minutes and we went on a little run. That was big. That ended up being, probably, the difference in the game.”

Elkhorn’s Dan Feickert, who finished with 12 points, hit two 3-pointers in the second quarter, sandwiched around a bucket from Ryan Michael. Giesselmann then scored five straight to give the Antlers a 22-12 lead with 2:08 left in the half.

Gretna got a 3-pointer from Nate Hubert to cut the lead to seven with just under two minutes left in the half.

Mike Weber answered for Elkhorn with a bucket to push the lead back to nine, then Gretna’s Trevor Leiting hit another 3 before Giesselmann closed the half with a bucket as time ran out to give the Antlers a 26-18 lead.

“He’s definitely the ‘Energizer Bunny’-type guy,” Peterson said of Giesselmann.

Elkhorn extended its lead to 41-27 with two minutes left in the third quarter before Gretna put together another run.

The Dragons hit three straight 3-pointers — one each from Sam Applegate, Mitch Drey and Andrew Jensen — to cut Elkhorn’s lead to 41-36 with 6:30 left in the game. Drey led Gretna with 11 points.

But that was the closest the Dragons would get the rest of the way.

“We’re down 13 at one time and came back,” Gretna coach Brad Feeken said. “That’s the energy and effort Gretna basketball is made of.

“Win or lose, we can look ourselves in the mirror.”

Feeken agreed that his team’s dry spell in the second quarter was the key in the loss.

At one point during the drought, Gretna had four offensive rebounds and five shots in one possession and couldn’t get a basket.

“I thought we were playing hard, doing things right,” Feeken said. “I can live with it.

“If we’re going to lose by doing everything right, so be it.”

Gretna (9-7)....................12 6 12 15—45

At Elkhorn (16-2).....................9 17 15 15—56

E: Ben Rankin 6, Chris Weber 1, Dan Feickert 12, Travis Giesselmann 17, Mike Weber 6, Ryan Michael 12, Clay Cameron 2.

G: Nate Hubert 5, Trevor Leiting 7, Dan Glathar 8, Andrew Jensen 5, Mitch Drey 11, Sam Applegate 9.