The National Park College Nighthawk women’s and men’s basketball teams came up short against St. Louis Community College over the weekend, falling to the Archers, 100-53 and 93-61, respectively.
In women’s action, St. Louis Community College enjoyed a hot start, beginning the game on an 11-0 run and forcing the Nighthawks (4-13) to play catch up for the majority of the first half. Tough press defense from the Lady Archers kept the Nighthawks’ offensive limited to just four field goals in the first quarter. In the second quarter, St. Louis’ stifling defense continued, holding the Nighthawks to a season-low five points en route to a 52-15 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, National Park College found an offensive groove behind three treys from sophomore Hailee Crosby (Mountain Pine), but the Nighthawks could not gain much ground on the Lady Archers, who surged for six three-pointers in the third quarter. Sophomore Bailey Womack (Fountain Lake) added 13 points in the final quarter, but the Nighthawks could not overcome the large deficit.
Womack led the Nighthawk women in scoring with 19 points, while Crosby added 15 points in the loss.
In the nightcap, the Archers exploded from the opening tipoff with a 16-2 start, including a 9-0 run on three three-pointers to open the game and never looked back. Behind an eight-point half from freshman Patrick Greene (Little Rock Mills), the Nighthawks (16-7) battled to keep it close, narrowing the deficit to 46-30 at halftime.
In the second half, freshmen David Jagers (Mayflower) and Garrison Branscum (Perryville) led the way for the Nighthawks, scoring eight and seven points, respectively, but ultimately could not overcome the Archers, who dominated in rebound and points in the paint, en route to National Park College’s third-consecutive loss of the season.
Jagers led the Nighthawks in scoring with 14 points, while Greene and Branscum added 10 and nine points, respectively, in the loss.
The Nighthawk men return home to “The Kettle” in Hot Springs for sophomore day Tuesday against Central Baptist College at 7 p.m. XZero Sports will stream the game live at www.xzerosports.com. The Nighthawk women return to action Thursday, Feb. 28 at Southern Arkansas University Tech in Camden.
For more information on schedules, rosters and more, visit www.np.edu/basketball. Visit NJCAA Division II team stats for up-to-date NJCAA statistics on the Nighthawks. Fans can also follow the Nighthawks all season on social media.
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