West Platte lost its fourth straight game to end KCI Conference play with a 58-45 defeat against Hamilton on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at West Platte High school. The Bluejays finished 3-4 in the league after sharing the title last year with Mid-Buchanan. In the KCI finale, West Platte trailed 31-14 at the half before a big third quarter from senior Cody Guthrie helped close the gap. The senior guard scored 15 of his game-high 23 points in the quarter, including three 3-pointers.
Hamilton scored 18 in the third to maintain a big lead into the fourth quarter. The Hornets scored just nine points in the final 8 minutes — all by players off of the bench.
West Platte senior forward Tanner Lintner continued to find his legs after injuring both ankles late last month in the North Platte Invitational. He scored eight while Luke Horseman added six — all on fourth-quarter 3s.
In all ,the Bluejays hit seven triples with the other five all from Guthrie.
West Platte (15-12) closed the regular season with a 46-43 loss to University Academy on Thursday, Feb. 19 — the Bluejays’ sixth straight defeat entering Class 2 District 15 play. They opened at Wellington-Napoleon High School against Kansas City Lutheran on Tuesday, Feb. 24, but the result was not available at The Citizen’s deadline.
The winner likely advances to play top-seeded host Wellington-Napoleon.
Mid-Buchanan 70, North Platte 41
The KCI champions walloped the Panthers on Tuesday, Feb. 17 to close out their winless league campaign.
Mid-Buchanan led 56-30 after three quarters, and Braydn Kemper (24) and Austin Scaggs (21) outscored North Platte by themselves. Austin Shanks led the Panthers with 17 points, including three of their four 3-pointers.
North Platte dropped to 6-17 with a 71-43 loss to Wellington-Napoleon on Thursday, Feb. 19. The Panthers opened Class 2 District 16 play against Maysville on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at Albany High School, but the result was not available at The Citizen’s deadline.
The winner of that first-round matchup likely meets up with state-ranked Mid-Buchanan in the semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 26.