Blue Devils down Knights in Hampton Inn Classic

North Platte, Neb. – North Platte Community College controlled the opening half, but the Blue Devils of Kansas City Kansas Community College rallied in the second half to earn the 53-45 win on the opening day of the Hampton Inn Classic Friday night.

Dazjanae Greene led the Knights with 13 points, while Reece Halley chipped in 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field.

North Platte controlled the opening tip and quickly raced out to a 21-11 lead with 3:38 to play in the second quarter. A quick three pointer from Mariah Gardner and a layup by Kateria Gooden stretched the lead to 26-12, but the Blue Devils managed to narrow the margin to ten as teams headed into the halftime break.

The Blue Devils erased the deficit in the third quarter by outscoring the Knights 21-8 in the frame. Greene opened up the scoring in the second half, before the Blue Devils launched an 11-2 run to narrow the margin to 30-27. Kansas City Kansas continued to hang around until a 5-0 spurt propelled them into the lead at the end of the quarter.

The Blue Devils extended their lead to 47-38 in the final period, but back-to-back buckets cut the margin to four with 2:02 remaining. The road team never relinquished their lead and closed the game out at the free throw line.

North Platte (8-4) will return to the hardwood on Saturday to take on Central Wyoming College. Tip is set for 3 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.