The North Platte Community College Lady Knights Basketball team open the 2015-16 season this weekend at the Hampton Inn Classic at the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium on the South Campus of North Platte Community College.

On Saturday, October 31, the Lady Knights will play Midland University Junior Varsity at 7:30 pm.  Prior to the Lady Knights game at 5:30, Air Force Prep will play Eastern Wyoming College.

On Sunday, November 1, they will play the Air Force Prep Lady Huskies at either 3 pm or 5 pm, depending on results of the Region IX volleyball tournament.  

The volleyball tournament could possibly play an “if necessary” game at 1pm, then the basketball game  between Air Force Prep and Eastern Wyoming will follow at 3 pm and the Lady Knights and the Lady Huskies will follow  If there is no  volleyball game the basketball games will move up to 1 pm.

The Lady Knight Basketball team enters the 2015-16 season hoping to improve on last season’s 14-14 record. The Lady Knights return five players from last year and will add eight additional players.

Lady Knights Head Coach Richard Thurin, who enters his 15th season, said “We have a good nucleus of returning sophomores so we will look to them for good leadership, and if that happens we can be optimistic about the upcoming season. Our goal as it is every year is to win the regional tournament and to compete at the national tournament.”

Sarah Marh, a 5′ 8″ forward from Sidney, is the leading returning player at 7.5 points per game. Mahr started 25 of the 28 games and was the second leading rebounder from last year’s squad.

Zulema Viescas, a 5′ 2″ guard from El Paso, Texas started 15 games last season and averaged 3.2 points per game and 1.2 assists per game.

T’Keyah Stapleton, a 5’7 forward from Omaha started six games near the end of the season. Stapleton averaged 4.4 points per game and 2.7 rebounds per game.

Other returning sophomores are Djimonii Jackson, a 5′ 7″ guard from Beaumont, Texas averaged 1.7 points and 2.2 rebounds per game and Maddie Seamann, a 6′ 1″ center from Hershey, averaged 1.7 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.

Joining those five is sophomore: transfer Jacey Schlegel, a 5′ 10 forward from Burns Colo. Schlegel transferred from. Colorado Northwest Community College and has added experience at the college level.

The Lady Knights will have seven freshmen competing for playing time. They include guards: Aljahnay Duncan, 5′ 10″ from Sherwood, Ark., Mickenzie Brennan, 5′ 8″ from Alliance; Linsey Frost, 5’7″ from Knoxville, Ark., BreAsia Allison, 5′ 8″ from Beaumont, Texas. MarZhrae Zeno, 5′ 7″ from Beaumont and Thomesha Wilson, 5′ 10″ from Omaha look to compete at the forward position. Suhmer Mitchell, 6′ 2″ from Big Sandy, Texas looks for playing time at the post position.

The schedule for the upcoming season include Region IX Division II opponents Central Community College and Southeast Community College. McCook Community College is a Division I school and is a member of the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference. The Lady Knights will play these teams home and home to determine the conference champion.

The Lady Knights will play home and home games against other Division I programs. Region IX members Northeastern Junior College, Eastern Wyoming College and other Division I schools outside the region on the schedule including Northeast Community College, Colby (Kan.) Community College and Northwest Kansas Technical College.

The remainder of the schedule will be Junior Varsity teams and a new opponent, Little Priest Tribal College. The Lady Knights will play them on the road on January 23.

The Lady Knights games this weekend will be live streamed on www.coachesaid.com.