Story and Photo by Daniel Stinman - Area Director of Marketing and Public Information
Torrington, Wyo. – North Platte Community College men's basketball team battled back from being down fourteen points late in the second half to force a competitive final minute, but ultimately fell short against the Lancers of Eastern Wyoming on Saturday, 78-81.
Eastern Wyoming added the first basket of the game in the opening twenty-three seconds of the first half. Caleb Horne responded for the Knights by grabbing the loose ball and getting his contested layup to fall, 2-2.
Knights and Lancers continued to trade baskets over the next four minutes as the point margin stayed within two during that stretch. Leading 11-9, Eastern Wyoming found their spark on offense as a 12-2 run over the next three minutes extended the Lancers lead to twelve with 12:45 to play before the halftime break.
The Knights answered with their own 7-0 run capped off by a turnaround jumper by German Plotnikov in the lane to pull back within five, 18-23. Lancers silenced the Knights momentum and pushed their lead back to nine as the clock moved inside the final eight minutes of the first half.
North Platte handled the pressure and responded with a 12-2 run to recapture the lead on a transition three by Denys Bachurin. Knights held on to the momentum for the remainder of the half and took a four-point lead into the halftime break, 40-36.
North Platte opened the second half with a transition layup by Plotnikov to extend their lead to six, 42-36. Lancers matched the bucket with a layup of their own before mounting a 12-3 run to take a five-point lead with 12:56 to play in the second half.
Plotnikov ended the run by connecting on back-to-back free throws, before Eastern Wyoming stretched their lead to ten inside ten minutes to play in the second half. North Platte quietly cut into the Lancers lead over the next 2:28 to pull back within three after Nico Felici connected on two free throw opportunities, 59-62.
The Lancers outscored the Knights 17-6 over the next four minutes as their lead grew to fourteen inside 3:30 to play in the second half, 65-79. North Platte answered over the closing minutes as a 13-0 run sparked by a Felici layup on a baseline drive ignited the Knights offense.
Inside the final minute, Mitar Cakovic got both of his free throws to fall narrowing the deficit to three, then a drive and fadeaway jumper by Felici pulled the Knights back within one with eleven seconds to play. In the closing seconds, the Knights forced Eastern Wyoming to earn the win at the free throw line.
The Lancers connected on both free throw opportunities to extend their lead back to three with eight seconds to play in regulation. The Knights had the perfect play drawn up as Plotnikov received the inbound and drove the length of the floor to attempt the buzzer beating three, but the shot fell short as the Lancers held on to defeat the Knights.
Plotnikov paced the Knights with 20 points against the Lancers while Horne capped off his best night in a Knights uniform with 19 points and 13 rebounds.
Knights (3-6) will travel to Columbus, Neb. for a single game against the Raiders of Central Community College on Wednesday night. Tip is set for the 6pm inside the Raider Fieldhouse.