Story by NPCC Athletic Communications
Joplin, Mo. – No. 4 Johnson County defeated North Platte in the second round of the NJCAA DII Women's National Championship on Tuesday, 53-42.
EmmaJo Locks led the Knights with 11 points, while Nariah Golden chipped in 10 points and three steals.
"We battled all game against a very good Johnson County team," said head coach Jeff Thurman. "The second quarter really hurt us both offensively and defensively."
Three players joined in the scoring frenzy while the Knights jumped out to a 6-3 lead. Tamia Smith connected on the first Cavalier three to tie the game at 6-6 with 3:29 to play.
Johnson County stretched a 7-3 run into the second quarter, before a Dezirae Gonzales baseline jumper cut the deficit to 13-11. The Cavaliers showcased their offensive ability using a 16-2 run over the final seven minutes to take a 29-13 lead into the halftime break.
Knights continued to fight as a 12-2 rally capped off by a Nariah Golden three cut the deficit to 35-27 with 3:18 to play in the third. Kara Stricklin answered with back-to-back threes to stretch the Cavalier lead back into double digits, where it would stay for the remainder of the second half.
“We will regroup tonight and focus on what we have to do tomorrow against a very good Illinois Central team," Thurman said.
North Platte (21-13) will continue play in the consolation bracket on Wednesday against the Cougars of Illinois Central. Tip is scheduled for 1 p.m. with local broadcast coverage on FM 98.1/AM 1410 in North Platte. A stream of the game is also available on the NJCAA Network.