Knights fall in final Region IX regular season matchup

Columbus, Neb. – Fumnanya Ijeh and Jada Grigsby each accounted for 11 points, as North Platte falls 57-50 in the final Region IX matchup of the regular season on the road against Central Community College.

In the loss, North Platte falls to 6-19 overall and 0-4 in Region IX action, while Central improves to 14-12 overall and 2-1 in league play. 

A quiet opening five minutes as teams struggled to find their rhythm offensively. North Plate found their spark as Ijeh drove the lane and completed the runner in the paint to energize the Knights offense. The North Platte lead stretched to six on a midrange jumper by Reece Halley, before Central cut the margin down to three to close the opening quarter.

North Platte settled into a rhythm on both ends of the court, as strong defense limited the Raiders to just one field goal in the second quarter. Back-to-back three-point field goals from Grigsby and newcomer Vanessa Wood extended the lead to 25-17 with 5:30 to play before the break. North Platte continued their hot perimeter shooting as Gardner entered the fray by connecting from deep, as the eleven-point lead would hold as teams headed into the break.  

The North Platte lead continued to grow in the third quarter, as the margin was pushed to 42-25 on a three by Grigsby. Central surged back over the final 5:37 of the quarter to cut the deficit to five.

Knights used the interior game to halt the momentum swing and stretch their lead back to eight with 6:53 remaining in the final period. The Raiders once again responded down the stretch while outscoring the Knights 18-3 to earn the come from behind win.

The Knights return home for a three game homestand to finish off the 2022-23 regular season beginning on Sunday, Feb. 19 against Union College. Tip is set for 2 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.