Knights down McCook at home

North Platte, Neb. – Three North Platte players finished in double figures to aid in a 79-65 win over McCook Community College on Tuesday night.

Bryce Baez led the way with 22 points while Parker Baumann and Michael Cooper chipped in 19 and 10 points, respectively.  

In the opening half a three from Zeki Cavli cut the deficit to 20-18, but the Knights countered with an 8-0 run to stretch their lead to double digits with 6:00 to play. Knights continued to hold the momentum down the stretch, while entering the halftime break with a 36-25 lead.

McCook slowly chipped away at the deficit until a 9-0 run cut the margin to 46-40 with 11:40 remaining. A corner three from Baez ignited the North Platte offense, as they countered with a 9-2 run to stretch the margin back into double digits.

In the final six minutes, McCook pulled back within seven but could not get any closer down the stretch. Back-to-back transition layups pushed the margin to 66-55, as North Platte continued to match the Indians down the stretch to close out the regular season sweep.

Knights (12-12, 3-5 Region IX) are back in action at home on Saturday against Northeastern Junior College. Tip is set for 7 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.