Knights season ends with loss to McCook

North Platte, Neb. – North Platte Community College men's basketball battled back from a double-digit halftime deficit but was not able to complete the comeback, as McCook Community College edged out the Knights on Saturday, 91-84.

German Plotnikov added 17 of his 28 points in the second half to lead the Knights. Nico Felici tallied 20 points, while Timur Krupalija closed out his fifth double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds in thirty-four minutes of play.  

McCook opened the scoring and jumped out to an 18-5 lead with 12:27 to play in the first half. The margin stayed in double-digits until a three by Plotnikov trimmed the deficit to eight with 6:15 remaining. McCook reset and extended their lead to eighteen just two minutes later, as Ezichi Kalu connected on a short-range jumper, 40-22.

North Platte attempted to swing the momentum as they cut the margin to ten inside the final three minutes. McCook continued to carry the momentum the rest of the half and extended their lead to seventeen by the halftime break, 50-33.

North Platte and McCook exchanged buckets over the opening minutes of the second half, until an 11-1 run capped off by a Jevarrick Butler three brought the Knights back within six, 56-50. The Knights edged closer over the next two minutes, before McCook pushed their lead to seventeen inside the final ten minutes, 72-55. The deficit remained in double-digits until the Knights attempted one last charge in the closing minutes.

Inside the final minutes, the Knights trailed by ten but a layup by Krupalija cut the deficit to eight. A five-second call on the inbound gave North Platte the chance to cut into the margin without any time off the clock. Krupalija received the Knights inbound and earned his way to the free throw line after being fouled on his shot attempt under the basket.

Krupalija connected on both free throw attempts to narrow the deficit to six, but McCook responded by going 3-of-4 from the free throw line to extend the lead back to nine with thirty-five seconds in regulation. Plotnikov earned a trip to the free throw line in the final seconds, but despite making both free throws the margin could not be overcome.

With the loss, the Knights finish the 2021-22 season with a 13-13 overall record.