Nighthawks Stumble in Region 2 Championship
SEARCY, ARKANSAS – The No. 1 ranked National Park College (NPC) Nighthawk men’s basketball team (27-1) fell to South Arkansas College in the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) Region 2 Championship Sunday at Harding University, 62-60.
In the first half, NPC enjoyed strong shooting from sophomore guards Patrick Punch (Houston, Texas) and Ja’Bryant Hill (Dallas, Texas) to jump in front of the Stars early. Paced by strong rebounding from sophomore center Taylor Harrell (Houston, Texas) and sophomore forward Anthony Swift (Las Vegas, Nevada), the Nighthawks capitalized on missed opportunities from South Arkansas College to take a 38-29 lead at the break.
In a tale of two halves, South Arkansas College rallied from behind to seal the deal. Held to just 22 points, offensively, over the final 20 minutes, NPC struggled to reestablish its tempo against the Stars. Despite early foul trouble, sophomore forward Nakavieon White (Odessa, Texas) led the Nighthawks with nine points in a second half that featured 10 ties. Trailing, 62-60, with 2.3 seconds remaining, NPC’s attempt at the game-winning three-pointer misfired, resulting in the Nighthawks’ first defeat of the year.
Hill led the Nighthawks in scoring with 17 points. Punch added 16 points, while Harrell finished 10 rebounds and four points and Swift added 15 rebounds and six points in the loss.
National Park College is confidently pursuing an at-large bid to the 2023-24 NJCAA Division 2 National Tournament, held March 18-23 in Danville, Illinois. The bracket will be released live via the NJCAA Network on Thursday, March 14, 2024 at 1 p.m.
For more information on schedules, rosters and more, visit [np.edu/athletics]Nighthawk Athletics online. Fans can also follow the Nighthawks all season on social media.
Facebook: Nighthawk AthleticsInstagram: nighthawkathleticsX: @NPC_Nighthawks
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National Park College was established in 1973 and is located in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The College serves approximately 7,000 credit and non-credit students per year. NPC is a comprehensive two-year institution offering associate degrees and certificates as well as continuing education, community services and workforce training.