Story by Daniel Stinman Area Director of Marketing and Public Information
Columbus, Neb. – Knights closed out their four-game road trip with a victory over Central Community College Raiders on Friday night, 70-59.
“I am proud of our student athletes,” said head coach Jeff Thurman. “Our balanced scoring gave us the advantage as we closed out a well-coached Central team.”
Knights won the tip and Jada Ballard put the Knights on the board first with a layup just fourteen seconds into the first quarter, 2-0. Diamond Moore-Heath pushed the Knights lead to four as she made a strong post move and laid it off the glass with 8:56 to play in the first quarter, 4-0.
The Raiders answered going on a 7-2 run over the next two minutes to take their first lead of the game, 7-6. Knights quickly responded retaking the lead as Moore-Heath collected the rebound and laid it off the glass for two, 8-7.
Knights pushed their lead to eight as Jordyn Moon found a cutting Jennessy Aragon-Dennis in the paint for an open layup, 17-9. Jocylin Sellers added a bucket in the closing minutes as the Knights led 19-11 after one quarter.
The Raiders responded in the second quarter cutting the deficit down to three just inside six minutes to play, 21-18. Sellers responded by capitalizing on a field goal in the paint to push the lead back to five with 5:10 to play.
After a Raiders basket, the Knights offense erupted for a 9-1 run to extend their lead to eleven with 2:27 to play, 32-21. The Raiders cut into the deficit by the end of the second quarter, but the Knights led at the break, 35-26.
In the third quarter, the Raiders trimmed the Knights lead down to four in the opening minutes. Janay Brauer halted the Raiders momentum by connecting on a three pointer to extend the Knights lead back to seven, 38-31. The Raiders responded going on a 11-4 run to knot the game up at 42-42 with 4:20 to play in the quarter.
Knights and Raiders traded buckets over the next three minutes, but the Knights never allowed the Raiders to retake the lead. Inside two minutes to play, the Knights pushed their lead back to five when Brauer found Ballard cutting through the lane for the open layup, 50-45. Raiders added two free throws in the closing minute, but the Knights led by three as they headed into the final quarter.
To begin the fourth quarter, the Raiders cut the Knights lead down to one with 7:24 remaining, 53-52. The Knights responded with a 15-2 run over the next 5:30 to take their largest lead into the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, 68-54. The Knights held off the final run by the Raiders to earn their second victory over Central Community College on the season, 70-59.
Knights had five players in double digits including Ballard (11), Moon (11), Amber Wolever (10), Moore-Heath (10), and Janay Brauer (10). Brauer led the Knights on the glass totaling seven rebounds in her thirty-three minutes of action.
In the win, the Knights move to 4-9 on the season and will return home on Tuesday, March 9 for another Region IX matchup against Northeastern Junior College. Tip is set for 5:00 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.