Knights rebound with win over Air Force Prep

McCook, Neb. – The Knights returned to the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center in McCook with hopes of returning to the win column on the final day of the Cobblestone Hotel & Suites Classic. North Platte fell behind early, but some tough defense and timely offensive possessions helped the Knights come from behind to defeat Air Force Prep, 72-65.

"I am proud of how our student-athletes responded today," said head coach Jeff Thurman. "After a tough loss last night, we showed a lot of resolve and heart."

Knights charged ahead in the opening minutes taking a four-point lead after Diamond Moore-Heath grabbed her own offensive rebound and got her contested layup to fall, 4-0. The Huskies added a three to narrow the deficit to one with 7:30 to play in the opening quarter. Moore-Heath quickly answered with a mid-range jumper to give the Knights the three-point advantage with 7:04 to play in the first quarter, 6-3.

Air Force Prep responded with a 12-0 run over the next three minutes to take their first lead of the game and extend their lead to nine, 6-15. Knights and Huskies traded baskets over the remaining two minutes of the quarter, but North Platte managed to trim the deficit to ten at the quarter break, 10-20.

In the second quarter, the Knights defense held the Huskies offense to just seven points in the quarter as the North Platte offense went to work. Jordyn Moon sparked the Knights offensively on their first possession by driving the lane and finding teammate Avery Johnson in the paint for the open layup.

Kayla Pope earned back-to-back trips to the free throw line and made the most of her chances pulling the Knights back within five with 6:44 remaining in the quarter, 15-20. The Huskies halted the momentum shift, but the Knights wouldn't be denied answering with a 12-2 run to retake the lead on a pair of Isa Valenzuela free throws inside a minute to play.

Inside the final fifteen seconds Air Force Prep knotted the game up, but Kayla Pope found teammate Moon in transition for a buzzer beating layup to give the Knights the two point advantage at the break, 27-25.

Out of the intermission, the Knights extended their lead to four as Pope beat her defender and went in for the uncontested layup, 29-25. Air Force Prep responded and built a three-point lead headed into the media timeout midway through the third quarter.

North Platte hit the reset button as a Fumnanya Ijeh ignited a 10-0 run to give the Knights a nine-point lead inside two minutes to play in the third quarter. Air Force Prep temporarily quieted the momentum with a 6-2 run over the next two minutes to pull back within five, 49-44. Moore-Heath answered the Huskies run in the final ten seconds battling for the offensive rebound and getting her floater to fall as time expired to send the Knights into the break with a seven-point lead, 51-44

To begin the fourth quarter, North Platte extended their lead to eleven as the Huskies full court press couldn't stop the Knights transition offense. A short 6-0 run by Air Force Prep narrowed the deficit back to five, but the Knights responded by pushing their lead out to eight on a layup by Pope inside four minutes to play in regulation, 65-57.

The North Platte defense limited the offensive chances for the Huskies over the next two minutes as the Knights lead grew to eleven with 1:36 to play, 70-59. Air Force Prep attempted one final run narrowing the deficit to seven, but the Knights closed out the Huskies to earn their third win of the season.

Knights closed out the Cobblestone Hotel and Suites Classic with two players earning double-doubles. Moore-Heath led all scorers with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Moon closed the afternoon with 12 points and 13 rebounds. North Platte finished the game shooting forty-two percent from the floor and seventy-three percent from the free throw line.  

North Platte (3-1) will return to the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium on Monday afternoon for a rescheduled game against York College JV. Tip is set for 5pm.