Knights fall in tight battle to Plainswomen

North Platte, Neb. – Big third quarter helps Northeastern earn the come from behind victory over North Platte on Friday night, 67-66.

Jada Thompson led the Knights with 18 points on 4-of-6 shooting from long range, while Kateria Gooden added 17 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

"Tough loss tonight, we had a chance to win," said head coach Jeff Thurman. "We need to move on and focus on the game against Trinidad tomorrow afternoon."

Northeastern erased a ten-point halftime deficit behind 17 third quarter points to cut the margin to 46-43. The Plainswomen knotted the game up inside the early moments of the fourth quarter. A battle ensued over the final 7:30, but the Plainswomen prevailed down the stretch.

Knights closed out the game shooting 29.6 percent (21-71) from the field, including 8-of-23 from long range. Northeastern won the rebounding battle, 48-38, while finishing the night shooting 48.3 percent from the field.

North Platte led 19-14 at the end of the opening ten minutes, before finding their rhythm for a 15-2 run to stretch their lead to 36-20. Northeastern countered with a short rally over the final two minutes to cut the margin to ten at the halftime break.

"Tomorrow, we honor our sophomores and their commitment to our program," Thurman said. "I am extremely proud of what this group has accomplished these last two years."

Knights (18-11) will host Trinidad State College to finish out the regular season. Tip is scheduled for 3 p.m. inside McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.