Story by NPCC Athletic Communications
Bruce Carpenter accounted for 24 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Knights to an 89-84 win over Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference rival Central Community College on Tuesday night.
Carpenter connected on 10-of-16 shots from the field, including a clutch basket in the final minute as North Platte finished the game shooting 45.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Ramiah Adedigba (24) and Antwone Gonzales (22) rounded out the double-digit scorers, as the Knights improve to 7-3 on the season.
The opening half featured a flurry of shots from downtown, as the Knights connected on 50 percent (6-12) of their shots from the perimeter. Gonzales opened the scoring with a layup before the Knights extended their lead to 14-8 with 14:15 to play.
Raiders rallied with a short 6-0 run to knot the game up, but the Knights found their rhythm on offense and quickly extended their lead to double digits on a transition three by Kayden Crosby. Central slowly narrowed the margin over the final 9:23, as the Raiders closed the half on a 12-2 run to pull back within three at the halftime break.
Central erased the three-point advantage to briefly take the lead in the early moments of the second half, but Adedigba answered from downtown on the next possession as the Knights regained the two-point advantage. Central kept the margin under ten for the next 6:46, but a North Platte steal and two-handed jam by Carpenter in transition once again pushed the margin back into double digits.
Raiders would not go away in the closing minutes, as the margin was cut to 81-78 with 1:20 to play. North Platte answered with key buckets from Carpenter and Adedigba on back-to-back offensive possessions as the margin grew to 85-80. Central would send the Knights to the free throw line twice in the closing seconds, but Carpenter and Adedigba managed to go a perfect 4-for-4 to seal the win.
Knights return to the hardwood on Friday for the first of two neutral site games in Sterling, Colo. North Platte will open the weekend with Central Wyoming College with tip set for noon inside the Bank of Colorado Event Center.
Photo: Bruce Carpenter lays it in over the outstretched arm of Central defender Trey Deveaux in the closing seconds of the game against Central Community College on Tuesday night.