Knights edge Runnin' Lopes in Region IX battle

North Platte, Neb. –  A 10-point run in the fourth quarter helped the Knights secure the 90-85 win over Lamar Community College on Tuesday night.

Sedrick Nari had a team-high 25 points on 10-of-23 shooting from the field. Freshman Alex Harper added 24 points, while Justus Michael chipped in 18 points and seven rebounds.

"We really took on the next man up mentality today," said head coach Jacob Brandl. "I'm proud of our effort."

The first half featured a back-and-forth battle as a late three pointer from Harper knotted the game up at 40-40 at halftime. Nari and Harper provided the spark in the opening twenty minutes by combining for 21 of North Platte's 40 points.

The battle raged on in the second half until a shot by Justus Michael ignited a 10-0 run. Lamar continued to fight and narrowed the gap to three on a layup by T-Shawn Bois with 22 seconds remaining. Inside the closing seconds, Harper knocked down two free throw attempts to put the game out of reach.

Knights (16-9) will get a week off before resuming Region IX play against Western Nebraska Community College next Tuesday. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m. in Scottsbluff.