Big Bend men & women sweep Blue Mountain
BIG BEND COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Office of Communications
Both the Lady Vikes and Runnin Vikes picked up wins Friday night over Blue Mountain completing the season sweep over the Timberwolves. However, with just one regular-season game left, there are still a lot of things left to shake out.
Lady Vikes 75, Blue Mountain 58
Sophomore Miranda Johnson (Salt Lake City) scored 14 points and grabbed 4 rebounds to lead the Lady Vikings to their 23rd win of the season. Sophomore Brynn Brown (South Jordan, UT) and Freshman Hannah Wilson (Rexburg, ID) each finished with 12 points and Kayla Luke (FR; Sugar City, ID) dropped 11 as the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) East Region leading Vikings cruised to their 12th conference win.
Big Bend pulled out to a 26-point halftime lead before pumping the breaks in the second half. The Lady Vikes have now won eight straight games.
The full box score can be found HERE!
For the current NWAC standings: CLICK HERE!
NWAC East Region Title
With one final NWAC East game yet to play on Wednesday at Walla Walla, a win or a loss could mean the difference in an outright, or co-region championship. Walla Walla is only one of two teams to get the better of the Lady Vikes this season. On Jan. 21st, the Warriors handed Big Bend their first loss of the season — an overtime thriller inside the Peter DeVries Center, 83-81. That loss was followed by their only other loss of the season at Wenatchee Valley.
The Lady Vikes have already avenged their early-season loss to Wenatchee and now will need to dish out a little retribution to Walla Walla to ensure an outright NWAC East Region title. If the Lady Vikes drop their game Wednesday to Walla Walla, there could be a tie atop the East Region standings if Wenatchee Valley can win out against their final two opponents Blue Mountain (tonight; Feb. 25) and Yakima Valley (Wednesday; Feb. 27).
Big Bend has only claimed the East Region crown three times: 1997-98, 2001-02, and 2002-03.
Regardless, Big Bend will be making their second-consecutive appearance in the NWAC Sweet Sixteen being held March 9-10 at the Walt Price Student Fitness Center on the campus on Everett Community College.
For more information about the NWAC Conference Championships: CLICK HERE!
Runnin' Vikes 109, Blue Mountain 82
Led by Sophomore Koby Huerta's (Covington, WA) 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, the Runnin' Vikes defeated Blue Mountain (109-82) to complete the season sweep on Friday.
Big Bend had six players finish in double-figures including Mauricio Smith's (SO; Las Vegas, NV) double-double performance (21 points, 15 rebs), Joey Andrews (SO; Riverton, UT) double-double (18 points, 11 rebs), and Miles Brown (SO; Sandy, OR), Ben Kuiper (SO; Spokane, WA), and Martin Herford (FR; Spokane, WA) who each finished with 10 points.
For the full boxscore, CLICK HERE.
For the current NWAC standings: CLICK HERE!
Playoff Picture
Big Bend (18-8, 8-7) needs to pick up a win Wednesday at Walla Walla to ensure a playoff berth. A little more than a month ago, the Warriors defeated Big Bend at home by 9 points, 85-76, in one of the ugliest shooting games of the season for the Vikings. Big Bend shot just 35.7% from the field and a miserable 17.6% (3-of-170 from behind the arc.
Three teams are currently vying for the fourth and final spot from the East Region — BBCC, Treasure Valley, and Wenatchee Valley (North Idaho, Walla Walla, and Spokane have already clinched). There are a few scenarios where Big Bend earns that final playoff spot — if they beat Walla Walla on Wednesday, if Treasure Valley, Wenatchee Valley, and Big Bend all lose their next game, or if Big Bend and Wenatchee both lose and Treasure Valley wins (which would set up a one-game play-in between Treasure Valley and Big Bend).
For more information about the NWAC Conference Championships: CLICK HERE!