Lancers even season series with win over Knights

North Platte, Neb. – Jada Grigsby notched her eighth double-digit game of the season with 11 points to accompany her seven rebounds, as the Knights fall 73-64 to the Lancers of Eastern Wyoming College on Friday night.

Samantha Riggles was the only other Knights player in double digits finishing the game with 10 points, while fellow forward Reece Halley closed out the game totaling nine points and seven rebounds.

North Platte finished the game shooting 29.3 percent (22-75) from the field, including 14-of-17 from the free throw line. Lancers knocked down 44.4 percent (28-63) of their shots from the field, including 7-of-21 from long range, while forcing 14 turnovers in the contest.

Knights jumped out to an 8-5 lead in the opening minutes, before the Lancers retaliated with an 11-0 run to grow their lead to 16-8 with 2:17 remaining in the quarter. Lancers kept their momentum rolling over the final minutes of the opening quarter, as they managed to build a 16-11 lead.

Riggles connected from downtown on the Knights opening two possessions of the second quarter, but another long run by the Lancers helped extend their lead to 36-19 inside the final three minutes. The North Platte defense held the Lancers to just one more field goal for the remainder of the quarter, while going on a short 6-2 run to cut the deficit to 38-25 by the halftime break.

North Platte nearly erased a 22-point second half deficit, as a mid-range jumper by Chrishelle Washington narrowed the margin to four with 7:54 remaining in the fourth quarter. A mini run by the Lancers helped the road team regain the momentum as the lead extended back into double digits.

Eastern Wyoming kept the momentum rolling over the final minutes by utilizing quick transition buckets to split the home-and-home series with the Knights.

North Platte (2-9) will look for redemption on Saturday afternoon as they host Laramie County Community College at 2 p.m. The Golden Eagles defeated the Knights 61-52 back on Nov. 5 in Cheyenne, Wyo.