The National Park College (NPC) Nighthawk men’s and women’s basketball teams split
their conference openers with North Arkansas College Thursday, with the Nighthawk
women dropping, 76-64, and the Nighthawk men winning, 105-84. In a defensive chess match early, NPC (2-5) matched the Lady Pioneers’ success from
the paint by attacking from the three-point line. However, second-quarter foul trouble
gave North Arkansas an advantage, allowing the Lady Pioneers to build a 34-25 halftime
lead.
In the third quarter, North Arkansas drained three quick three-pointers to extend
the lead. Nighthawk sophomore Imani Honey (Hot Springs) paced NPC in the second half,
utilizing timely shooting down low to force fouls and free throw opportunities. Behind
nine fourth-quarter points from freshman Kyra Hargrove (Perryville), the Nighthawks
made one last push to turn the tide, but could not overcome the deficit.
Honey led the Nighthawks in scoring with 13 points, while Hargrove added 11 points
in the loss.
Undefeated at home this season, the Nighthawk men soared early, building a 14-5 lead
over the Pioneers in the first six minutes. Fueled by 14- and 11-point efforts from
sophomores Alvin Cannady III (Charlotte, NC) and Sayvon Traylor (Conyers, GA), respectively,
the Nighthawks capitalized on cold perimeter shooting to build the lead. Leading,
27-19, with eight minutes remaining in the first half, NPC erupted to a 13-0 run over
the next four minutes to extend the lead, sailing to a 46-30 halftime advantage.
In the second half, the Nighthawks enjoyed surges in scoring from sophomores Joe Ramey
(El Dorado) and Kam Vick (Little
Rock) to maintain momentum. Traylor remained hot from beyond the arc, while the Nighthawk
defense continued to hold the Pioneers’ three-point shooting at bay, pushing NPC to
its sixth-consecutive victory.
Traylor led the Nighthawks in scoring with 24 points. Ramey and Cannady III added
23 and 19 points, respectively, while Vick scored 16 points. Freshman Kylil Anderson
(Fort Worth, TX) finished with 15 points in the win.
The Nighthawk men and women play host to Southern Arkansas University Tech on Saturday,
Feb. 27 with the women tipping off at 5 p.m. and the men following at 7 p.m. General
admission tickets to NPC home games can be purchased at np.edu/tickets. Tickets for faculty and staff can be obtained at np.edu/np-tickets. There will be no tickets sold at the door. The games will be live streamed at www.xzerosports.com.
For more information on schedules, rosters and more, visit 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 on social media.
Facebook: Nighthawk Athletics
Twitter: @NPC_Nighthawks
Instagram: nighthawkathletics
Snapchat: npnighthawks
