Brady Kennison knocks down the three pointer that helps North Platte take the lead in Saturday’s matchup against Western Nebraska Community College. (Skylar Evans, North Platte Community College)
North Platte, Neb. – Brady Kennison caught fire in the second half, scoring 20 of his 25 points after the break to lift the Knights to a 98-84 victory over Western Nebraska on Saturday afternoon.
Kennison finished 6-of-12 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line, while teammate Winston Allen scored 16 points, six rebounds and three steals in the win.
“The guys did really good job of executing the adjustments at halftime,” said head coach Jacob Brandl. “Credit to Western they came out hot and we kept it close in the first half. Then our defense really stepped up in the second and took over.”
Western Nebraska looked poised to run away with the game early, but North Platte answered with an 11-0 run to pull within one with 4:52 remaining in the half. The Cougars managed to hold on to their lead and took a 42-35 advantage into the break.
North Platte opening the second half on a 13-0 run capped by a deep three-pointer from Kennison. North Platte’s offensive rhythm and defensive pressure allowed them to stretch their lead to as many as 18 points in the second half. Western Nebraska attempted to rally down the stretch, but the Knights remained composed to secure the victory.
“Going into this game, I was really proud of our guy’s response in practice after dropping two really close games,” Brandl said. “Our toughness and togetherness really came out.”
North Platte (15-12, 7-5 Region 9 South) closes out the regular season with back-to-back road games beginning with Trinidad State on Friday. Tip is set for 8 p.m. inside the Scott Gym in Trinidad, Colo.
