A tough first half that saw 34 points and seven made shots from behind the arc by Nodaway Valley (6-1) was too much for the North Platte boys’ basketball team (2-6) to overcome as the Panthers fell 53-30 in the Twelve Courts of Christmas game at Hy-Vee Arena on Dec. 19.
Senior forward Jayce Gibson scored the Panthers only two points in the first quarter of the Twelve Courts of Christmas matchup with Nodaway Valley at Hy-Vee Arena on Dec. 19.
The Thunder had a prolific 10-0 start to the game – making two field goals in the paint and two from behind the arc on four total attempts – and closed the opening quarter out on a 15-0 run after Jayce Gibson scored the Panthers’ only two points in the frame. Nodaway Valley sunk another 3-pointer to start the second quarter and North Platte freshman Dylan Armstrong made a putback layup with 5:25 to go in the half, but the Thunder went into the locker room with a comfortable 34-6 margin.
North Platte nearly doubled its score total in the third quarter alone – tying Nodaway Valley with 11 points in the frame – and outscored the Thunder 13 to eight in the final quarter, which included a buzzer beater layup by senior Josh Schaffert.
The Panthers started the season off 2-0 but have now lost six straight games, albeit it to tough opponents. North Platte’s first two losses were to teams, Lone Jack (9-0) and Plattsburg (8-0), who are undefeated before coming up short against Lawson (3-6) in the consolation semifinal round of the KCI Tournament on Dec. 7.
In the matchup with the Cardinals, a 6-point first quarter deficit turned into a 30-18 Lawson lead at the half, but North Platte brought it within single digits in the final quarter before ultimately losing 50-40. Armstrong scored 16 points on an efficient eight of 12 shooting along with grabbing nine rebounds and forcing three steals, while Creek Johnson had 12 points.
In the closest game so far this season, North Platte came up just shy in a 37-34 defeat to Mound City (5-3) on Dec. 13 before giving Mid-Buchanan (5-5) a run for its money on Dec. 16. Since beating the Dragons in the North Platte Tournament in 2016, the Panthers have struggled vitally against Mid-Buchanan with nine consecutive defeats with an average margin of deficit being 26.4 points.
Nevertheless, the most recent matchup was the closest one in the previous nine matchups to show promise for the Panthers. After trailing 31-20 at halftime, North Platte fought back and brought it to within single digits in the second half before falling by a score of 52-43.
North Platte competed in the St. Joseph Area Sports Hall of Fame High School Holiday Hoops Showcase at the St. Joseph Civic Arena on Dec. 21. The Panthers played East Atchison (2-6) and will have a break until hosting Maysville (4-3) – who is a district opponent – on Jan. 4.