(Aliyah Herron led the Knights with 21 pts, photo courtesy NPCC Athletics)
Riverton, Wyo. – The North Platte women’s basketball team started strong but couldn’t hold off a 42-point second half rally, falling 71-58 to Central Wyoming in the Region 9 Tournament opening round.
“This was a tale of two halves for us tonight and we just could not get enough stops in the second half,” said head coach Jeff Thurman. “I’m proud of our effort and togetherness all night.”
Aliyah Herron led the Knights with 21 points, three assists and two steals. Kyenna Jackson finished the game with eight rebounds to accompany her seven points and two steals.
North Platte got off to a fast start, scoring the first four points and stretching its lead to nine after Alexa Stevens knocked down a long-range jumper. Central Wyoming responded by outscoring the Knights by seven the rest of the quarter, cutting the deficit to two by the end of the first.
The Knights opened the second quarter strong, scoring 14 points to build a double-digit lead. A North Platte scoring drought allowed the Rustlers to go on a 9-0 run, before Jasmine Gilbert ended the nearly five minute drought with a jumper in the final 30 seconds to give North Platte a 33-29 advantage at halftime.
Central Wyoming came out firing in the third, hitting back-to-back threes to take the lead. The quarter featured three ties and five lead changes, with the Rustlers taking the lead for the final time in the closing minutes.
In the final quarter, Central Wyoming outscored the Knights 24-12 to advance to the second round of the Region 9 Tournament.
“I am honored to coach this sophomore group for these past two years,” Thurman said. “They will leave North Platte Community College champions.”
The Knights finish the 2025-26 campaign with a 10-19 overall record.
