The National Park College (NPC) Nighthawks women’s basketball team (5-8) soared to its third-consecutive win, defeating Southwest Tennessee Community College in the Kettle on Tuesday, 69-47.
After falling behind, 8-2, to start the game, NPC leaned heavily on its defense to battle back into contention, taking a 17-14, at the end of the first quarter. The Saluqis regained momentum in the second quarter, however, outscoring NPC, 16-9, to take a 30-26 halftime lead.
In a tale of two halves, NPC impressed over the final 20 minutes, outscoring the Saluqis, 22-9, in the third quarter, and 21-8 in the fourth quarter. Led by strong performances from sophomores Amaya Coakley (Killeen, TX) and India Atkins (Bryant), NPC erased the deficit and coasted to its first three-game winning streak in Nighthawks women’s basketball history.
Coakley led the Nighthawks with 25 points. Atkins and sophomore Essieana Bennett (Houston, TX) added 14 and 10 points, respectively, in the win.
“We looked like a real basketball team tonight,” NPC head coach Dominique Battles said. “The girls pulled it together. We had a slow start, but that was an amazing finish. We’re starting to see how good we really can be.”
The Nighthawks play host to North Arkansas College on Saturday, Jan. 8 to begin NJCAA Region II play. The women tip off at 2 p.m., followed by the men at 4 p.m. The games will be streamed live on the Nighthawk Network.
For more information on schedules, rosters and more, visit Nighthawk women’s basketball online. Fans can also follow the Nighthawks all season on social media.
Facebook: Nighthawk Athletics
Twitter: @NPC_Nighthawks
Instagram: nighthawkathletics
Snapchat: npnighthawks
