COLUMBUS, Neb. - Closing out a two-game road swing, Highland (6-2) managed to overcome an eight-point first-half deficit against Central (5-4), but couldn't hold off a second-half comeback by the Raiders, falling 76-71 on Friday night. Colton Knoll led the Scotties with 24 points on the night.

After neither team was able to score on its first possession, Tavian Tate found a second-chance triple to crack the scoreboard for Highland. The next several minutes were a back-and-forth battle with neither team able to stretch beyond a four-point lead.

The Scotties were first to a four-point margin, leading 10-6 at the 16:37 mark after a pair of free throws by Takeo Moore, with the Raiders answering with an eight-point run over the next 2:06 to lead 14-10.

Central was able to take advantage of a brief rough patch for Highland, as the Scotties coughed up three turnovers on either side of the 10-minute mark that the Raiders were able to convert into a 26-19 lead.

After seeing themselves through a pair of eight-point deficits, the Scotties managed to close the gap to just four points heading into the locker room for halftime.

Highland jumped out quick after the break, taking a 39-38 lead just 86 seconds into the second half. The Scotties extended to a 52-42 lead on a Tate three with 13:08 on the clock and held on to the lead for the better part of seven minutes.

Unfortunately, the Scotties hit a shooting lull down the stretch. A pair of Knoll free throws put Highland up 68-58 with 6:00 left, but four misses and five turnovers over a span of 4:23 allowed Central to claim a 73-68 lead with less than two minutes to go.

Miguel Villegas managed to briefly snap the cold streak, knocking down a three-pointer to pull Highland within two with 1:17 on the clock, but the Scotties weren't able to finish the comeback a second time.

Highland returns to Ben Allen Field House for a Thanksgiving week appetizer. The Scotties host Southeast Community College in a 7 p.m. tipoff on Tuesday.