A year after losing the conference title to Lathrop, the North Platte girls basketball team got their revenge on home court as they clinched a share of the KCI Conference title with a 47-35 victory on Friday, Feb. 14.
Last Friday’s matchup with Lathrop was a competitive and spirited affair. North Platte powered through the physicality to break the four-game losing streak they previously had against Lathrop.
“That’s about as big a win as it gets at this stage of the season,” Panthers head coach Clay Atteberry said. “It left a sour taste in our mouth after last year. So it’s good for them to get over the hump and find a way to get that KCI title.”
The score was level 20-20 at halftime after both teams surged to exchange several buckets in the final minute of the second quarter. North Platte edged in front in the third quarter as they outscored the visitors 11-8.
Lathrop star sophomore Jacie Kassanavoid scored 22 points but fouled out midway through the fourth quarter after committing a needless foul near midcourt as her team trailed by six.
Kassanavoid’s exit was a devastating blow for the Mules as the rest of her team combined for just 13 points in the contest. From that point on, the game was North Platte’s to lose with minimal offensive help left for Lathrop.
The Panthers’ free-throw shooting came in clutch in the fourth. They knocked down 10 of 12 from the charity stripe, including 4 of 4 from senior Kylee Griswold as North Platte took their biggest victory of the season.
“We did a good job of adjusting and staying mentally tough,” Atteberry said. “Those are games you want before districts because it gets you battle-tested. Both teams played very hard; those are two good basketball teams.”
Adding to all the drama, the big victory came on Senior Night, where the girls basketball team honored five of its own players. In a fitting exit, the senior class led the way as guard Brianna DeBord shined brightly with a team-leading 15 points followed by Lindsay Ramsey’s 9 points.
“This was a really hard game and we were really trying to get through this game and get the KCI title. I’m just really, really impressed,” DeBord said.
Atteberry was full of praise for his senior class. They came together four years ago, and he made sure to get them all on the court so they could leave together.
“These seniors came into a good basketball program as freshmen and they’ve left it even better than how they found it. That’s true success. They’re going to have nothing but success moving forward,” Atteberry said.
“It means everything,” DeBord said. “We pushed for it (conference title) last year and came up short. But getting it this year, and it especially being my senior year, it’s really great.”
North Platte is 21-4 this season and undefeated in conference play. They now set their sights on clinching the conference outright on Feb. 18 in the regular season finale on the road against East Buchanan.
District play will begin on Feb. 27 for the No. 2-seeded Panthers. They will begin on home court against the winner of No. 3 Barstow and No. 6 Polo.
“We’re in a district where anything can happen,” Atteberry said. “There’s a lot of athletes in our district. We’ve just got to take it one game at a time; live to see the next day and find a way to survive and advance. We’re definitely excited for it.”