Knights upset Anoka-Ramsey to close Great Western Dining Classic

North Platte, Neb. – Kateria Gooden led all scorers with 15 points to help North Platte upset the Rams of Anoka-Ramsey Community College on Saturday afternoon.

Gooden's 15 points came on 6-of-14 shooting from the field, while fellow sophomore Nariah Golden chipped in 11 points, five steals and five assists in 25 minutes off the bench.

The Rams leapt out to an 8-1 lead before a mid-range jumper from Golden sparked a 4-0 spurt. Anoka-Ramsey stretched their lead to seven with 5:02 remaining, but five straight points from Madison Cheleen and a pair of free throws by Sa'Naii May evened the game at 12-12.

North Platte traded buckets with the Rams well into the second quarter, until a 6-0 run helped the Knights take a 29-22 lead. Rams surged back in the closing minutes to cut the deficit to three at the halftime break.

A quick four-point spurt stretched the lead to seven on a putback by EmmaJo Locks. Anoka-Ramsey never let the margin stretch beyond seven in the third quarter, as they trimmed the deficit to four headed into the final ten minutes.

The Rams mounted an 8-3 run to open the fourth quarter to reclaim the lead before the media timeout. The defense turned up the pressure as they limited the Rams to just one field goal over the final 6:09 of the period. During the stretch, the Knights used a 15-2 rally to run away from the Rams and close out the win.

North Platte connected on 31.3 percent (21-67) of their shots from the field, including 19-of-30 from the free throw line. The Knights won the turnover battle, 33-18, while tallying 19 steals and 12 assists.

Knights (5-3) will return to the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium on Nov. 29 to host Des Moines Area Community College. Tip against the Bears is set for 5 p.m.