Story by NPCC Athletic Communications
Miles City, Mont. - The North Platte Community College women’s basketball team came up just short Friday night, falling 61-59 to Miles Community College in a tightly contested matchup.
Litia Pan led the Knights with 23 points and eight rebounds, while Dorthie Mesteth contributed 13 points.
“We had stretches tonight where we played really well, but now we need to focus on putting those stretches together for a full 40 minutes,” assistant coach Jordyn Pavelka said. “That starts with paying attention to the little details.”
North Platte opened the game with a 7-3 lead before Miles rallied to take the advantage with 1:58 remaining in the first quarter. The teams traded baskets down the stretch, but a steal and layup by Mesteth gave the Knights a 12-11 lead at the end of the quarter.
The second quarter remained close, featuring four ties before the teams headed into halftime deadlocked at 27-27. Balanced scoring kept the contest even heading into the fourth quarter.
The teams continued to trade baskets in the final period, with the game tied at 59-59 with 30 seconds remaining. Miles scored the go-ahead basket with six seconds left to secure the victory.
“We’ve shown glimpses of the type of defensive team we’re capable of being, but we need to find a way to keep that effort and intensity throughout an entire game,” Pavelka said.
Knights (1-4) return to action next Friday against Casper College. Tip is set for 5 p.m. in Gillette, Wyo.