Knights rally in second half to defeat Blue Devils

Kansas City, Kan. – North Platte fought off a three-point halftime deficit to defeat the Blue Devils of Kansas City Kansas Community College, 69-57, on Friday night.

Zaily Mazarin led the Knights with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Nariah Golden added 15 points and seven steals.

The Blue Devils opened the scoring, but a steal and transition layup triggered a North Platte 6-0 run. Blue Devils fought back to regain control on a three-pointer by Bennett Peck with 4:06 remaining. North Platte cut the margin to one late in the quarter, but three straight points gave the Blue Devils a 16-12 lead.

EmmaJo Locks opened the second quarter with three straight points, as they cut the margin to one with 8:10 to play. Blue Devils maintained control of the lead, but North Platte kept the margin within one possession until a three by Sa'Naii May put the Knights out front.

Knights extended their lead to four when Eden Shanati connected from long range, but the Blue Devils responded with an 8-1 run in the closing minutes to take a 32-29 lead into the halftime break.

The lone Blue Devil field goal in the third quarter came at the 6:11 mark, as the Knights unleashed a 17-1 run that switched the momentum one final time. During the stretch Mazarin recorded eight points, while Nariah Golden added six points on 3-of-3 shooting from the field.

Blue Devils attempted to complete the comeback in the final ten minutes, but North Platte matched them bucket-for-bucket down the stretch to close out the win.

Knights (8-6) will finish the weekend road trip on Saturday against Highland Community College. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. inside the Ben Allen Field House in Highland, Kan.