(Knights guard Breonna Shelby, courtesy NPCC Athletics)
Dodge City, Kan.– North Platte women’s basketball fell to No. 2 Dodge City 94–52 on Tuesday night.
Dezirae Gonzales and Breonna Shelby led the Knights with 10 points each, with Gonzales also dishing out four assists. Jasmine Gilbert made her presence felt on the glass, grabbing six rebounds.
“We played hard and competed for about 24 of the 40 minutes but that won’t get it done against a team of that caliber,” said head coach Jeff Thurman. “We will learn from this and move forward.”
The Conquistadors came out firing, knocking down their first five shots from three-point range to jump out to a 15–5 lead. Aliyah Herron then sparked the Knights offense with a strong drive to the basket, igniting a 10-2 run that pulled North Platte within two. Dodge City regained momentum late in the quarter, stretching its lead to 31-17 after the first period.
The second quarter started as a close matchup before the Conquistadors pieced together an 8-0 run to extend their advantage. North Platte would outscore Dodge City by three for the remainder of the quarter, but the Conquistadors still carried a 17-point lead into halftime.
Dodge City came out of the locker room hot, opening the third quarter on a dominant 16-2 run to build a 34-point cushion. Herron ended the drought with a three pointer, but the Conquistadors continued to control the pace, taking a 73-39 lead into the final frame.
North Platte struck first in the fourth quarter with a putback from Ligia Thortvedt, but Dodge City quickly responded with another 8-0 spurt. The Knights fought but couldn’t slow the Conquistadors offense, who outscored North Platte 13–10 down the stretch to secure the victory.
Knights (1-4) return to action on Saturday against Cloud County Community College. Tip is set for 2 p.m. inside Arley Bryant Gymnasium in Concordia, Kan.
