West Platte and North Platte were both eliminated from the KCI Tournament after back-to-back losses in the eight-team bracket.
In the consolation bracket Monday, Dec. 5, Lathrop doubled up eighth-seeded West Platte 66-33 at East Buchanan High School in Gower, Mo. The Mules scored 26 in the opening quarter while holding the inexperienced Bluejays to just two points.
West Platte trailed 45-16 at halftime and did not recover despite a strong fourth quarter with the outcome not in doubt.
Noah Johnson continued an impressive start to the season with a team-high 14 points, leading seven players to score for the Bluejays, who dropped to 1-4 overall. Their next game will be Monday, Dec. 12 against Kansas City Lutheran.
Plattsburg 50, North Platte 42
A comeback bid in the second half came up just short in the other consolation semifinal Monday, Dec. 5.
Plattsburg led 29-17 at halftime and held on from there behind a pair of double-digit scorers. Ty Blackburn led North Platte with 11 points. The Panthers shot 4 of 4 on free throws but also allowed Plattsburg to attempt 21 shots at the line.
North Platte dropped to 1-3 and will be off until Tuesday, Dec. 13 at home vs. Orrick.
Lawson 61, North Platte 32
The Panthers were downed in the opening round Saturday, Dec. 3 at East Buchanan High School in Gower, Mo.
Lawson held North Platte to seven, 10, eight and seven points in the four quarters. The Panthers made just 12 shots total from the floor while Lawson guard Cody Glenn hit seven 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 30 points.
North Platte trailed 41-17 at halftime, and the Panthers didn’t have a double-digit scorer. Ben French, Remington Willson and Hunter Hendricks scored six apiece.
Other games
North Andrew 72, West Platte 28
WESTON, Mo. — The Bluejays were overwhelmed in a matchup with a Class 1 power Thursday, Dec. 1 at West Platte High School.
North Andrew opened with six unanswered points and pulled away after West Platte briefly closed within 12-6. The Bluejays missed too many shots and eventually were in a hopeless game of catchup, down 62-25 after three quarters.
“I talked to the team after the game, and they agreed we just didn’t get the start we wanted,” West Platte coach Dillon Higdon said. “And it was hard for us to kind of get our rhythm back in the game after that.”
Johnson led West Platte with seven points, including one of two 3-pointers, while Cole Whalen added six.
West Platte 60, Orrick 48
The Bluejays came away with their first win of the season Tuesday, Nov. 29 in Orrick, Mo. behind a season- and career-high 31 points for Johnson.
West Platte led 34-18 at halftime with Johnson responsible for 20 of the points. He hit a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter, and the Bluejays held on from there despite shooting just 10 of 24 on free throws overall, just 6 of 12 in the fourth quarter.
Truman Gillis scored nine for West Platte, and Phillip Pattison added eight.
North Platte 70, Wentworth Military 19
The Panthers earned their first win of the season Thursday, Dec. 1 in Dearborn, Mo. behind a trio of double-digit scorers.
In the first half, North Platte put up 42 points, while Wentworth managed no more than seven points in any quarter. Jesse Martin scored a game-high 17 points for the Panthers, while Wilson (12) and French (10) followed him in the scoring column.
In all, 11 different players scored for North Platte.