The National Park College (NPC) Nighthawk men’s and women’s basketball teams dropped tough road games at Arkansas Baptist College Thursday, with the women falling, 75-48, and the men losing, 85-77.
In a defensive first quarter, the Nighthawk women (9-8) went toe-to-toe with Arkansas Baptist College early, led by a four-point effort from sophomore Grace Crawford (South Side Bee Branch). Trailing, 10-8, with 3:40 remaining in the quarter, the Buffaloes padded their lead with a 7-0 run to take a 17-10 lead at the end of the first act.
In the second quarter, the Nighthawks gained momentum, beginning with a 7-2 run to cut the deficit to two points, 19-17. Led by an eight-point effort from freshman Imani Honey (Hot Springs) NPC continued to battle offensively, but had a tough time defending points in the paint, falling behind, 34-23 at the half.
In the third quarter, NPC utilized six-of-seven free throw shooting to pull within two points, 34-32, with 7:35 remaining, but a 9-0 run from the Buffaloes proved to be too much for the Nighthawk women to overcome. In the fourth quarter, Arkansas Baptist College outscored NPC, 22-8, to take the win.
Crawford led the Nighthawks in scoring with 15 points, while Honey added 12 points in the loss.
After trading buckets with Arkansas Baptist College early, the Nighthawk men (12-9) struggled to find their offensive identity, held to tough shots by a stingy Buffaloes defense. Tied, 9-9, with 14:20 remaining in the first half, the Buffaloes exploded on a 9-0 run to double up the Nighthawks, 18-9, with 9:44 remaining in the half.
Behind nine points from freshman Kamryn Vick (Little Rock), NPC would chip away at the lead, , but with 5:12 remaining in the first half, the Buffaloes boosted the lead to double digits, 29-19, continuing their scoring surge to take a 40-24 halftime lead at home.
In the second half, the Nighthawks turned up their intensity, fueled by a 27-point effort from freshman Joe Ramey (El Dorado). Behind Ramey, NPC would slowly mount a comeback over the game’s final 20 minutes, capitalizing on rebounding and turnovers to shrink the lead.
With 28 seconds remaining in the game, the Nighthawks pulled within four points, 81-77, on a free throw from Ramey, but late free throws pushed the Buffaloes across the finish line for the win.
Ramey led the Nighthawks in scoring with 31 points, while Vick finished with 16 points in the loss.
"Those young men are hurting and they wanted that one," head men's basketball coach Jason Hudnell said. "There were a lot of things against us in the second half and we battled our guts out. We never gave up and we never quit. They kept battling and that effort will win a lot of games for us. I'll take that team into March."
Nighthawks basketball returns home Saturday, Feb. 15 as the men and women play host to North Arkansas College. The Nighthawk women tip off at 12 p.m. with the men following at 2 p.m.
For more information on schedules, rosters and more, visit www.np.edu/basketball. Visit Nighthawk Men stats and Nighthawk Women stats for up-to-date NJCAA statistics on the Nighthawks this season. Fans can also follow the Nighthawks all season on social media.
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