La Junta, Colo.– Clutch free throw shooting helps North Platte earn the 83-80 win on the road against Otero Junior College on Saturday.
“We played really good in the first half then had a couple of bad stretches in the final twenty minutes,” said head coach Jacob Brandl. “Very proud of Mo and Daniel who were good on the glass and anchored our defense.”
North Platte got the offense rolling early as they jumped out to a 23-5 lead. Otero held North Platte to just six more points over the next 8:35 to cut the deficit to two. Knights responded to close the half on a 12-1 run to rebuild a double-digit lead at the halftime break, 44-31.
Rattlers opened the second half strong by unleashing a run that tied the game at 55-55 with 12:48 remaining. The Knights continued to match the Rattlers in the second half until a jumper from Justus Michael triggered a 10-2 run. The rally helped North Platte regain control inside the final two minutes, as they went on to close out the game at the free throw line.
North Platte (11-6) returns to the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium on Tuesday to square off with Southeast Community College. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.
