The Northwest Knights saw their postseason run come to an end Wednesday night after a hard-fought 62–58 loss to Hughes in a second-round tournament matchup.

Hughes jumped out to an early lead, outscoring Northwest 14–7 in the first quarter. The Knights responded in the second period, putting together a strong offensive stretch to outscore Hughes 17–14 and cut the deficit to 28–24 at halftime.

The third quarter proved pivotal as Hughes extended its lead by scoring 19 points in the period to take a 47–38 advantage into the final quarter. Northwest made a late push, scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter, but Hughes held on down the stretch to secure the four-point victory.

Travontay Thomas led the Knights with a game-high 21 points while also grabbing seven rebounds. Isaiah Stroud added nine points and four assists, while Eli Sterling finished with eight points. Ethan Dixon contributed six points and five rebounds, and Christian Craig added three points and three rebounds.

Northwest also received strong contributions from its bench. J’Veon Jackson scored nine points and recorded two assists, while Jadyn Hairston added two points and two rebounds. As a team, the Knights shot an efficient 50 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three-point range while finishing with 23 rebounds and nine assists.

Hughes was led by Malik Henderson, who scored 26 points and added six rebounds while shooting 9-of-17 from the field and converting six of seven free throws. Jaionte Jones provided a strong performance with 10 points, while Dontrezz Sheppard added eight points and six rebounds.

Le’Shawn Hill contributed six points while leading Hughes on the glass with eight rebounds and six assists. Alex Davenport also chipped in six points and three steals, while Jabbar Jones and Jeffery White added two points each for the Big Red.

Hughes finished the game with 28 rebounds, including 15 offensive boards, and recorded 12 assists, six steals, and four blocked shots to help secure the victory.

The Knights finish the season with 14-9 record and look to return 4 of their top 5 scorers for next season.