NJCAA Region IX Championship Preview

Game 31 | North Platte (21-9, 4-0 in Region IX) vs. Central (11-11, 1-3 in Region IX)
Saturday, Feb. 26 – 2 p.m.
McDonald-Belton Gymnasium

Scouting North Platte: 

Knights enter Saturday with a school record 21 wins, having earned the automatic bid to the championship with an undefeated record against Region IX opponents this season.

North Platte averages 17.1 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks twelfth amongst NJCAA Division II teams this season. Knights also rank twenty-first in total points scored (2053) and eighteenth with an average of 45.4 rebounds per contest.

Sophomores Kayla Pope and Diamond Moore-Heath combine for 29.3 points per game. Moore-Heath is the Knights inside threat grabbing an average of 8.7 rebounds per game, which ranks her tenth nationally.

Third year sophomore Janay Brauer is the only other Knights player in double-figures, averaging 12.1 points over thirty games this season.

Know Your Opponent: 

The Raiders enter the NJCAA DII Region IX Championship with an overall record of 11-11. Central punched their ticket to the championship with a 73-71 victory over Southeast Community College on Tuesday.

Central has three athletes averaging double-figures this season including Brittney Veik (15.0), Amy Mitchell (13.6), and Madisen Jelinek (12.0). Jelinek averages nine rebounds per game this season, while Mitchell leads the team with 3.3 assists and 2.7 steals per contest.

Raiders rank 54th in the country in field goal percentage (38.9 percent) and 74th in the nation with an average of 37.7 rebounds per game.

Coaches:
Jeff Thurman (4th season at North Platte Community College)
Billy Perkins (5th season at Central Community College)

Livestream: The championship game will be web-streamed at npccknights.com/watch_live.

Local Radio: The game will also be broadcast by Kyle LaBoria with Eagle Communications in the local area on 98.1 FM and 1410 AM.