Dezirae Gonzales puts up a shot against Central Wyoming College on Friday night. (Skylar Evans, North Platte Community College)
North Platte, Neb. – Dezirae Gonzales had a season high 17 points, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Central Wyoming in the final quarter on Friday night, 73–65.
Gonzales, a sophomore from Walden, Colo., scored in the double digits for the fourth time this season by connecting on 6-of-15 from the field. She also pulled down five rebounds in 28 minutes.
“We played a solid three quarters tonight, but that alone doesn’t guarantee a win,” head coach Jeff Thurman said. “We did some good things, and we’ll build on those as we move forward.”
The Knights opened strong with an 8-3 run, but the Rustlers trimmed the margin to one after a three with 2:50 left in the quarter. North Platte responded with an 8-0 burst before Central Wyoming closed the period with a three of their own to make it a six-point game at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw a tight battle, with the Knights stretching their lead to 32-23 on a long-range jumper from Abigail Haas with 2:30 remaining. Central Wyoming answered again, closing the half on a 7-1 run to pull back within three at the break.
The Rustlers struck first in the third, scoring the opening five points to take their first lead. Aliyah Herron quickly answered with a three to swing momentum back to the Knights, who held the advantage through the remainder of the quarter and led 53-49 heading into the fourth.
Central Wyoming seized control early in the final frame with a decisive 13-1 run and never looked back. The Rustlers outscored the Knights 24-12 in the fourth to secure the come from behind win.
Knights (1-6) return to action at home on Dec.1 against Midland University JV. Tip is set for 5:30 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.
