The National Park College (NPC) Nighthawks basketball teams split its NJCAA Region
II showdown with the University of Arkansas Cossatot (UA Cossatot) on Saturday, with
the Nighthawk women (8-11) winning, 60-59, and the Nighthawk Men (15-6) dropping an
87-82 decision.
In a impressive defensive performance out of the gate, NPC took advantage of turnovers
and cold Lady Colts shooting to build a 10-3 lead in the first 10 minutes. In the
second quarter, the Lady Colts established an offensive rhythm, fueled by big three
pointers to keep things close. Paced by a 12-point half from freshman Kayla Richardson
(Grannis) and eight second-quarter points from sophomore India Atkins (Bryant), the
Nighthawks withstood the threat, holding a 33-25 advantage at the break.
After a neck-and-neck third quarter, which found NPC leading, 49-42, the Lady Colts
took charge in the fourth quarter, outscoring NPC 17-11 over the final 10 minutes
and taking a 59-58 lead with 2:02 to play. With 6.2 seconds remaining, Richardson
regained the lead for NPC, 60-59, with two critical free throws and the Nighthawk
defense held strong to secure the team’s second NJCAA Region II win of the season.
Richardson and Atkins led the Nighthawks in scoring with 18 and 15 points, respectively,
in the win.
Sparks flew early in men’s action, with UA Cossatot erupting to a 13-6 lead after
five minutes. Backed by sophomores Rodrique Massenat (Trenton, NJ) and Sayvon Traylor
(Atlanta, GA), the Nighthawks answered with a 10-0 run to take the lead, 16-13, with 12:25 to play. For the remainder of the first half, each team kept things
close on the scoreboard. With a buzzer-beating tip-in, freshman Garett Powell (Springboro,
OH) sent the game to halftime tied, 45-45.
The back-and-forth battle continued in the second half, with each team matching shots
for the first 10 minutes. With 9:26 remaining, NPC took its biggest lead of the ballgame,
67-60, but were unable to keep the Colts away for long. With 5:35 remaining, and the
Nighthawks leading, 73-69, UA Cossatot rallied on a 9-0 run to take the lead. NPC
battled back within two points, 84-82, with 18.2 seconds to go, but the Colts sealed
the deal from the free throw line to snap NPC’s three-game winning streak.
Traylor led the Nighthawks in scoring with 21 points, while Massenat added 20 points.
Sophomore Kam Vick (Little Rock) and freshman JoQuaris Valrie (Houston, TX) added
11 points apiece, while Powell scored 10 points in the loss.
The Nighthawks play host to the junior varsity team from Crowley’s Ridge College today,
with the women tipping off at 5 p.m. followed by the men at 7 p.m. The games will
be streamed live on the Nighthawk Network.
For more information on schedules, rosters and more, visit Nighthawk men’s basketball and 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
