The North Platte Panthers’ girls basketball team are KCI Tournament champions for a second consecutive season.
Just like last season, the Panthers are off to a 6-0 start after sweeping all three opponents in the annual conference tournament. Contrary to last season, when they defeated each opponent by at least 23 points in the tournament, the Panthers faced adversity in each victory this time around in Plattsburg.
Parity throughout the conference made this year’s tournament impossible to predict, leaving the Panthers as the only ones left standing after a grueling week of basketball. Illness and injuries caused some concern for North Platte, but the Panthers turned to their depth as they managed to persevere in each contest.
The defending tournament and conference champions entered this year’s edition as the No. 3 seed, opening with a narrow victory against No. 6-seeded Plattsburg on Dec. 8. After falling behind 18-11 in the first quarter, the Panthers fell behind by as many as 16 points until they got within 11 at halftime.
The Panthers went on a 22-9 tear in the third quarter to take a 48-46 lead, a lead that grew to as many as five points, but Plattsburg came fighting back until they ran out of time as North Platte advanced with a 62-61 victory. Panther sophomore Addie Skala led the team with 28 points while senior Allyson Smith recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Megan Schuster drives against Lathrop in the KCI Tournament Semifinal at Plattsburg High School.
North Platte returned to Plattsburg for the semifinals on Dec. 11, holding a lead for most of the way to top No. 2-seeded Lathrop by a final score of 56-44.
The Panthers relentlessly pressed Lathrop in the early going, setting the game up for a choppy start before North Platte pulled ahead 27-22 at halftime. Part of the reasoning for that was to counteract Lathrop star Jacie Kassanavoid, who finished the night with 23 points after going 9 of 23 from the field.
North Platte extended its lead to 43-35 in the third quarter before stretching it to double-digits in the fourth quarter. The Panther trio of sophomore Megan Schuster, senior Kate Wolf and Smith each contributed double-digit points, combining for 40 points.
“It was just the definition of a team win,” North Platte head coach Clay Atteberry said. “I thought our energy was good and they executed the game plan perfectly. They are just a group that is going to come battling every night.”
The championship game on Dec. 13 required a come-from-behind effort from North Platte — waiting until the fourth quarter before taking a 51-46 victory against No. 4-seeded Lawson.
After trailing at the end of the first quarter, North Platte found itself in front 20-14 before Lawson climbed back into the game with a last-second trip to the free-throw line, giving the Cardinals a 25-24 halftime lead. The matchup remained a one-possession game throughout the third quarter as Lawson led 36-33 going to the final frame.
The Cardinals made it a two-possession game with less than six minutes to play before North Platte tied it up. Level at 44-44 with less than two minutes remaining, Smith nailed a 3-pointer, which was soon followed by Skala winning an offensive rebound and scoring a bucket, suddenly putting the Panthers ahead 49-44 with 1:20 left.
A couple of North Platte free throws stretched their lead to 51-44 before Lawson got a bucket back, but it was not enough to spark a comeback. Smith and Skola led the Panthers’ championship game victory, combining for 25 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists.
As the last undefeated team in the conference through mid-December, Atteberry has been proud of his team’s work ethic and ability to overcome all the early-season obstacles that have already been thrown their way.
North Platte celebrates a score in their semifinal against Lathrop.
“It’s been energy and effort from the girls,” Atteberry said. “Just being coachable and doing what we ask every day. They are just a fun group to be around as far as they enjoy being around each other and they play for each other.”
The West Platte girls also competed in the KCI Tournament, finishing as the winners of the consolation bracket.
They fell to an opening-night defeat against Lawson by a final score of 50-39 despite a 23-point effort from junior Catelyn Carlson. After going to the consolation bracket, the Blue Jays routed Penney 65-20 on Dec. 10 with the trio of senior Sophie Grier, freshman Madeline Cline and Carlson combining for 42 points.
West Platte concluded their tournament appearance with another victory, taking down Plattsburg on Dec. 12 by a final score of 46-39. They conclude the tournament with an overall record of 3-2 before hosting Plattsburg for a conference matchup on Dec. 18.