NORTH PLATTE – The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team scored 55 second-half points, but it wasn't enough as the North Platte Community College Knights shot 52 percent from the field and raced to a 97-79 Region IX South Sub-region win over the Cougars Tuesday evening in North Platte.
Even with the loss, the Cougars still control their own destiny in capturing the second see in the South as they drop to 6-5 in conference play and 15-13 overall. North Platte improves to 2-7 in conference and 12-13 overall.
WNCC is locked in hosting a first-round playoff game March 4, but whether it will be as the second, third, or fourth seed is still up for grabs. McCook is 5-5 in conference play while Lamar is fourth with a 5-7 mark followed by Otero and Northeastern at 4-6.
WNCC will wrap up the regular season on Saturday when they host Northeastern Junior College in a women's and men's doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. It will also be sophomore recognition night as the Cougar men will honor the sophomores before their game.
On Tuesday North Platte led from start to finish after jumping out to a 7-0 lead and 9-3. The Knights continued to hit shots in the first half as they led 25-8 and later 37-16. The Knights' lead ballooned to 46-20 and North Platte led at halftime 50-24.
The second half was a different story as WNCC outscored North Platte 55-47. North Platte led by 35 at one point, 68-33 and later at 72-41. It was at that point the Cougars decided to heat up as they went on a 14-0 run to slice the deficit to 72-55 after back-to-back 3-pointers by CJ Johnson. After two free throws by North Platte stopped the Cougar run, WNCC went on a mini 7-0 run including a 3-pointer by Maurice Walker with 7:48 to play to cut the deficit to 74-62.
WNCC got to within 11points on Zach O'Callaghan two free throws. That was as close as the Cougars could get as North Platte went on a 12-5 run to lead 94-71 and cruised to the 97-79 win.
WNCC shot just 39 percent from the field compared to 52 percent for North Platte. The Cougars did win the 3-point and free throw battle. WNCC hit seven treys to North Platte's four. WNCC was also 22-of-26 from the charity stripe for 85 percent while North Platte was just 72 percent (23-of-32).
North Platte won the rebound battle 46-32.
WNCC had just two in double figures. Biko Johnson and CJ Johnson each had 17 points. CJ Johnson had three 3-pointers while Biko Johnson was 6-7 from the charity stripe. Walker and Dimitrije Nikolic each had eight points while O'Callaghan had seven, and Enzo Clouvel-Urie and Tristin Thomas each had six points.
WNCC 24 55 – 79
North Platte 50 47 – 97
WNCC
Carl Thorpe 3, Daniel Bula 3, Enzo Clouvel-Urie 6, Maurice Walker 8, Zach O'Callaghan 7, Tristin Thomas 6, CJ Johnson 17, Dimitrije Nikolic 8, Biko Johnson 17, Ahmari Samuel 2, Stephen Ovia 2.
NORTH PLATTE
Davion Evans 16, Ramiah Adedigba 18, Kayden Crosby 9, Bruce Carpenter 32, Josh Townley-Thomas 12, Antwone Gonzales 10.