Brady Kennison knocks down the go-ahead jumper as the Knights claim the lead for the final time in Saturday’s Region IX Tournament game against Central Wyoming College. (Skylar Evans, North Platte Community College)
North Platte, Neb. – Brady Kennison scored a team-high 25 points to lead North Platte to a 78-73 win over Central Wyoming on Saturday in the first round of the Region IX Tournament.
Kennison made 12 free throws in the win, while Justus Michael added 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
“This game was about advancing to the next round,” said head coach Jacob Brandl. “It was not a clean game, but we found a way.”
North Platte took an early 7-3 lead and later pushed the advantage to double-digits after a layup from John Sims IV. The Knights held off a late Central Wyoming rally to take a 33-27 lead into halftime.
The North Platte advantage grew to eleven in the second half after back-to-back threes from Kennison. Central Wyoming refused to go away, trimming the deficit to two on three separate occasions before finally tying the game at 68-68 with 7:20 remaining.
The teams traded baskets late, but the Knights held a two-possession lead in the final seconds. Central Wyoming made just one free throw, and North Platte sealed the victory out at the free throw line.
“At this time of year all that matters is that you get the win,” Brandl said. “Our guys were good down the stretch and figured it out. Very proud of how our group has grown throughout the year, time to go 1-0 again!”
North Platte (18-12) advances to the three-day Region IX Tournament, set for March 12-14 at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo.
