Knights fall in nailbiter to Otero

McCook, Neb. – Sophomore Samantha Riggles totaled seven of her 13 points in the second half, but late free throws propelled Otero Junior College to a 57-54 win at the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center on Friday night.

North Platte had six players score in the opening quarter, as a 6-2 burst pushed the Knights advantage to 14-11 at the end of the opening period. Otero used an 11-2 run to open the second quarter to stretch the margin to five on a three pointer by Alexa Peraza.

A pair of free throws from Nariah Golden halted the run, while North Platte launched a short rally to take the lead on a layup by Jada Thompson. Otero answered with the final field goal of the opening half to take a 24-23 lead into the halftime break.

The Rattlers connected on four from long range in the third quarter to open a 45-38 lead headed into the final ten minutes. A quick rally cut the margin to 45-44 on a three by Golden, but Otero responded over the next 4:17 to stretch the margin to ten.

North Platte rallied to cut the deficit to 54-52 on a Riggles layup inside a minute to play. Otero capitalized on their free throw chances in the final seconds to put an end to the Knights comeback attempt.

North Platte (16-11) will close out the regular season on Saturday against Trinidad State College. Tip is set for noon at the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center in McCook.