North Platte senior Allison Smith brings down a rebound against West Platte’s Ella Davis in the Panthers’ road win.
It was far from straightforward, but seven players scoring in multiple quarters for the North Platte girls basketball team helped the Panthers to a 12-point road win against West Platte on Jan. 9.
The Panthers looked to a variety of players in their 51-39 victory — their seventh consecutive win against West Platte — but last week’s triumph came after facing some first-half struggles.
“Anytime you go on the road in the KCI (Conference), it’s never easy, especially when you’re playing a rivalry game against West Platte,” North Platte head coach Clay Atteberry said. “I knew the intensity was going to be there.
Blair McHenry drives to the basket in West Platte’s home defeat on Jan. 9.
They immediately found themselves trailing 4-0 out of the gate when West Platte’s Blair McHenry knocked down a free throw and Nora Meyerkorth hit a 3-pointer. North Platte’s Emily Goodlet exchanged triples with West Platte’s Catelyn Carlson before a 9-0 run put North Platte ahead 12-7.
West Platte worked their way back into the game late in the first quarter as they trailed 14-12 after the first frame. A cagey first half continued in the second quarter as West Platte used its momentum in the second quarter, holding North Platte to just three points as the Blue Jays took a 19-17 lead at halftime.
The Panthers shot the ball well, but turnovers limited their offensive potency. Atteberry refocused his team on taking better care of the ball going into the second half.
North Platte worked quickly to correct its ways in the second half, opening the third quarter with a 10-0 run to jump ahead 27-19. The Panthers never looked back from that point, though West Platte managed to control any further runs as the Panthers led 33-26 after the third quarter.
A fourth-quarter triple from Annabell DeBord extended North Platte’s lead to double-digits for the first time of the night with six minutes remaining in the contest. West Platte fought back as Carlson hit two more triples to get the Blue Jays within four with 3:35 to play.
Ultimately, North Platte closed the game well, using six fourth-quarter scorers to extend the Panthers’ lead out to double-digits once again as North Platte earned the 51-39 victory.
“I just think we did a good job executing in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter,” Atteberry said. “Every time they got close, we weren’t afraid to step up and make a shot; just kind of kept them at arm’s reach.”
North Platte’s Kate Wolf looks for an outlet as she is double-teamed by West Platte.
Atteberry was most impressed by his team’s ability to step up and hit shots when they needed them. All seven players who played scored multiple times, led by Kate Wolf’s 10-point performance, with Goodlet hitting three triples for 9 points and Merilyn Payton shooting 4 of 6 for 8 points.
The win ended North Platte’s three-game losing streak as the team works back from some injuries and illnesses. They hope to finally be putting those issues behind them ahead of a tough schedule ahead.
“The girls that have been on the floor have done absolutely everything we’ve asked of them,” Atteberry said. “They’ve grinded and we’ve had some bad luck happen, and it is what it is. Now that we’re back in school, we can come compete and get back in our rhythm.”
North Platte will reset to face some stiff competition in the Bill Burns Shootout in Lathrop. The Panthers are scheduled to face Van Horn, Chillicothe and University Academy.
The Panthers are now 2-0 in conference play, 8-4 overall. They return to KCI action on Jan. 23 when they host Mid-Buchanan in Dearborn.