North Platte senior Landon Bartlett, above, had 12 points, five rebounds and seven assists in the 51-43 loss to Lawson on Feb. 4.
The North Platte boys’ basketball team (8-14) put up a fight against conference rival Lawson (9-13), but came up on the losing end, 51-43, on Feb. 4.
Sluggish second and third quarters were key factors in North Platte’s defeat as the Panthers combined for just 13 points in back-to-back periods after scoring 12 in the opening frame. Lawson only led by one point entering the second quarter and progressively extended its lead throughout the contest.
The Cardinals took a 23-19 lead at the break and held on to a 34-25 margin entering the final eight minutes of action. North Platte made a comeback bid in the final period - outpouring 18 total points in the frame - but it was too little, too late.
Kruise Patch and Westin Snook combined for five made shots from downtown as the senior - Patch - led the team with 15 points. Landon Bartlett had an all-around individual display, finishing with 12 points, five rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
North Platte has run into a bit of a rough stretch as of late losing six of its last seven, but the Panthers are playing in mostly competitive games - which hasn’t always been the case in previous years. The Panthers have been averaging 53.6 points per game since Dec. 20, while also winning more games than they’ve been accustomed to in recent seasons.