Knights make it three straight with win over Trinidad State at home

North Platte, Neb. — Justus Michael tallied 22 points and 10 rebounds to lead the North Platte Community College men's basketball team to an 81-74 victory over Trinidad State on Friday night.

"I'm really proud of the way our guys battled in the second half and cleaned things up," said head coach Jacob Brandl. "We were really sloppy late in the first half, and that allowed them to get going."

North Platte jumped out to an early surge, igniting a 10-0 run sparked by an old-fashioned three-point play from Osayanrhion. Trinidad responded with a strong push of its own, taking the lead with 8:23 remaining in the half and later stretching their margin to five. The tightly contested first half ended with the Trojans holding a narrow 37-34 lead at the break.

The second half featured a back-and-forth battle with five lead changes and seven ties, before Kennison knocked down a key three-pointer to ignite a decisive 12-0 run. Trinidad managed to add three more points, but North Platte closed out the game at the free throw line to seal the victory.

"We'll be in trouble if we play sloppy," Brandl said. "But the one thing I love about this group is how they work together. When you have a group like that, you can trust the process."

North Platte (10-7) returns home on Saturday against Otero Junior College. The college will be celebrating the 60th anniversary commemorative game with free admission for everyone. Tip is set for 3 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.