Strong third quarter propels Knights to win over Panthers

York, Neb. – Diamond Moore-Heath fueled the offensive attack for North Platte, as the Knights rolled to a 78-43 win over York College JV on Thursday night.

"This was a good team win," said head coach Jeff Thurman. "Now we must shift our focus to Southeast and a big road Region IX game."

The Panthers flexed their muscles early as they jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the opening minute of the game. The Knights responded over the next 2:19 to take their first lead of the game, as Moore-Heath connected on a contested jumper in the lane. The game remained tight over the final minutes of the quarter, as North Platte clung to a one-point lead, 19-18.

To open the second quarter, the Knights charged ahead as an 11-0 run, capped off by back-to-back free throws by Avery Johnson pushed the lead to twelve. The Panthers trimmed the margin down to five with 2:21 to play in the quarter, but North Platte managed to extend their lead back to eight by the halftime break.

North Platte never relinquished the momentum over the next twenty minutes, as the Knights outscored the Panthers 24-2 in the third quarter. A 19-0 run to open the quarter, ignited the North Platte defense as the Panthers got their only basket of the quarter inside the final two minutes.

Janay Brauer, who tallied 11 points on the night, added four points in the final ten minutes as the Knights offense continued to roll. York trimmed the deficit to twenty-seven by the midway point of the fourth quarter, before North Platte pushed their lead to thirty-four on a three by Dayonna Roberts. Knights matched the Panthers down the stretch as they put the final touches on the road victory.

North Platte finished 27-of-72 from the field, while also connecting on 20-of-26 free throw opportunities.

Knights (13-6) will end their week against Region IX opponent Southeast Community College on Saturday, Jan. 22. Tip is set for 2 p.m. at the Truman Center Gymnasium in Beatrice.