North Platte to take on 11^th ranked Sheridan Friday

Knights roll in tourney tilt over Central Wyo.

SHERIDAN, Wyo. -- North Platte Community College men downed Central Wyoming Thursday, 91-78, to advance to Friday's semi-final round of the Region IX Division I basketball tournament.

The Knights will take on 30-2 Sheridan College Friday at 7 p.m. (MT). The Generals are ranked 11^th in the nation in the most recent Junior College Division I rankings. They advanced Thursday by squeaking by Northeastern Junior College, 74-72.

Courtney Murrell (Plano, Texas) led the Knights with 23 points. Tim Johnson (Arlington, Texas) scored 21 points and Ilya Tyrtyshnik, (Kiev, Ukraine) added 20 points.

The Knights scored 60 points in the paint and shot 52.7 percent from the field, made six of 15 shot from the 3-point line (40 percent), and made good on seven of 10 free throws (70 percent). North Platte out-rebounded Central Wyoming 38-29.

The Rustlers shot 42.4 percent from the field, made 12 of 34 shots from distance (35.2 percent) and 10 of 12 free throws (83.3 percent).

Friday's semi-finals will feature the top two seeds in the Region IX south against the top two seeds in the Region IX north.

In the other half of the bracket it was Casper 84, Trinidad State 61 and Western Nebraska 83, Eastern Wyoming 62. That sets up Friday's first semi-final match between the north's No. 2 seed Casper, but they are ranked sixth in the nation with a 30-2 record. Western is the south's top seed and enters the game 24-7. That game is set for 5 p.m. (MT).

Friday's winners will play for the Region IX Championship Saturday at 7 p.m. (MT).

Central Wyoming finishes the season 11-20.

North Platte improves to 24-4.