North Platte, NE (KOOQ) – The North Platte Community College men’s basketball team is separating themselves from last years rough start any way they can.

After the performance they put on this weekend, its safe to say they have succeeded. The men improve to 8-1 to start the season after a pair of very convincing wins against teams from Wyoming.

The weekend started off with a rematch against Laramie County, the team that took the Knights to OT in the very first game of the season. Things started fast in that game for the Knights, they opened up with a 19-5 lead. The Golden Eagles would clamp down on defense for the rest of the first half and the Knights would take a 27-22 lead into the half.

Laramie College would increase the intensity to start the 2nd half getting as close as 4 points 35-31. A big 3 point shot by Courtney Murrell would kick the lead back to 7 and the Knights would never look back. The final score in the Knights favors 67-50.

The second game of the weekend would go much differently for the Knights. Eastern Wyoming was in town for another rematch from earlier in the season, when the Knights beat them 88-80. Saturday’s game would be a statement win for the Knights.

The Knights started off by jumping on the Lancers, taking a 23-4 lead to open the game and took a 43-29 lead into halftime. The first half the Knights seemed to score at will with a good mix of down low play by Jakub Karwowski and outside shooting by Edgars Kaufmanis. Karwowski would end the half leading all scorers with 14.

The Lancers made a small run at the start of the second half behind stellar offensive rebounding and scoring from Brandon Meadows but could never get closer than 10 points at 45-35.

North Platte cruised to the victory 82-57. Karwowski was officially on triple-double watch through the second half, he finished with 21 pts, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Kaufmanis finished right behind him with 20 pts on 6-7 shooting from the three-point line.

The Knights (8-1) have one more game at home before the long holiday break, they take on Southeast Community College December 11th, tipoff at 5 p.m.