Deep Ball Buries Vikes

Coming off of their third straight loss, the Vikes were in desperate need of a victory to stay in the playoff hunt. With their backs against the wall, BBCC hosted the Spokane Falls Sasquatch. Having defeated the Squatch earlier in the season, the Runnin' Vikes liked their chances at home on Wednesday February 7th. 

After having success versus The Falls in their previous meeting, the formula was simple. Defend the three point shot. The Runnin' Vikes put together a stellar opening half shooting a shade below 40% while taking care of the basketball with only 5 turnovers. Diego Carrera led the Vikes dropping 8 points on 3-4 shooting while knocking down 2 deep balls out of his 3 attempts. Unfortunately, Spokane managed to outshoot the Vikes nailing 6 threes on 50% shooting from the floor resulting in Big Bend trailing at half by a score of 38-31.

The second half was crucial for the Vikes to keep their season alive. Needing a quality offensive half, the Vikes tried cutting the lead by way of the three, launching 14 three point attempts but only making 3 putting them in a tough spot. Shooting 9-29 from the floor in addition to their 9 turnovers, made it an uphill battle for BBCC. With not a whole lot going the Vikes way, The Falls managed to drain 10 three pointers over the course of the game to sneak out a win versus BBCC with a final score of 70-54. 

LJ Ginnis led the Vikes in scoring dropping 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists with Diego Carrera and Gideon Harris cracking double digit points in the loss. Head Coach Jason Hopkins had this to say regarding the loss. 

"We just weren't tough enough, didn't make enough shots and forgot our scout too many times. The stretch in the first half where we are up by 1, I think it was 21-20, and we give up three straight open 3 completely changed the complexion of the game. They deserve all the credit for that and hats off to them. Jeremy is a great coach and is such a great example of the Big Bend community and the legacy that coach Poth has left on the basketball world."

BBCC prepares for their longest road trip of the season as they hit the road to Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, OR on Saturday February 10th. 

As always, keep up with the Vikings on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as through the NWACSports Network's livestream video platform, where available.