Story by Daniel Stinman Area Director of Marketing and Public Information. Photo by Mid-Plains Community College Marketing and Public Information Department
North Platte, Neb. – North Platte Community College men’s basketball team defeated McCook Community College on Tuesday night to complete the season sweep of the Indians, 65-62.
Leading 38-36 at the break, the Knights quickly pushed their lead out to nine in the opening minutes of the second half on an offensive putback by Slavomyr Marchenko, 45-36. The Indians erased the deficit and went on a 9-0 run to tie the game up with 15:36 to play in the second half, 45-45.
A quick timeout and a bucket by Jevarrick Butler gave the Knights the lead momentarily, but the Indians answered a North Platte basket with an old fashioned three-point play to retake the lead with 12:08 to play, 48-47. Knights responded over the next 5:36 going on an 9-3 run to push their lead to seven, 57-50.
McCook again responded and went on their own 8-1 run to recapture the lead inside three minutes to play. The Knights used the energy from the crowd to build a three-point advantage as Plotnikov drove the lane and laid it off the glass with 1:23 to play. The Indians trimmed the lead to one, but the Knights remained calm and finished the game at the free throw line going a perfect 4-of-4 inside a minute, to complete the season sweep of Indians.
In the opening half, the Knights jumped out to a 6-2 advantage just 2:18 into the action. McCook responded with a basket to halt the momentum momentarily as the clock moved inside seventeen minutes. The Knights again went on a 5-0 run to extend their lead to seven on a transition three by Butler, 11-4.
The Indians responded limiting the Knights offensive chances and knotted the game up with 10:26 to play in the first half, 20-20. Timur Krupalija answered for the Knights by receiving the ball in transition and completing a three-point play, to give the Knights a three-point lead with 10:18 remaining in the first half. Indians responded with a 7-0 run over the next 2:40 to push their lead to four with 7:38 to play.
Inside three minutes, the Knights regained control of the lead and managed to push their lead to five, 37-32. Indians closed out the half on a 4-1 run but still trailed at the break, 38-36.
Plotnikov led the Knights in scoring totaling 23 points on 7-of-15 from the field. His teammate Marchenko led North Platte on the glass with 10 rebounds to go along with his six points.
The Knights (6-10) will host Otero Junior College on Friday night inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium at 7:00 p.m. Rattlers won the first meeting of the season on February 27, 79-75.