Big Bend Vikings Tip Off Season in Arizona

The Big Bend Community College men's basketball team launched their 2024-25 season with a four-game road trip to Arizona, opening against Cochise College. The Runnin' Vikes struggled to find their offensive groove in the opener, resulting in a 63-47 defeat.

BBCC got off to a sluggish start, scoring only 19 points in the first half while falling behind 25-19 at the break. Despite trailing by just six points, the Vikings couldn't turn the game around in the second half. Cochise outscored BBCC by 10 over the final 20 minutes, sealing the Vikings' first loss of the season. Gideon Harris paced Big Bend with 12 points, adding 6 rebounds and 3 assists to his performance, while Gil Gonzalez chipped in 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.

The Vikings aim to bounce back as they continue their Arizona road trip, with three more games scheduled. 

The Big Bend Community College men's basketball team faced Mesa Community College in their second game of the Arizona road trip, battling in a tightly contested game that went down to the wire. Despite leading by a point at halftime, the Vikings couldn't hold off Mesa's second-half push, ultimately falling 64-63 in a nail-biter.

The game was a back-and-forth affair in the first half, with Big Bend holding a slim 34-33 advantage heading into the break. In the second half, the Vikings fought to maintain their lead, but Mesa outscored them 31-29 in the final 20 minutes to claim the narrow victory. Gil Gonzalez led the Vikings with 14 points on an efficient 6-for-8 shooting performance, while Diego Carrera and Gideon Harris added 9 points each, with Harris also contributing 7 rebounds and 7 assists, coming close to a triple-double effort.

BBCC then faced a tough challenge against Pima Community College in their third game of the Arizona road trip, suffering an 84-49 defeat. After dropping their first two games of the season, the Vikings hoped to get back on track but were overwhelmed by Pima's fast-paced attack. Pima came out firing in the first half, putting up an impressive 59 points while holding BBCC to just 25.

The Vikings found themselves in a deep hole at halftime and were unable to mount a significant comeback in the second half, with Pima outscoring them 25-24 in the final period. BBCC struggled offensively throughout the game, shooting just 35% from the field and 22% from beyond the arc. Despite their efforts, the Vikings couldn't find the consistency needed to keep pace with their opponent. Victor Raymond and Idenorbemeh Braimoh were the only Vikings to reach double figures in scoring, but their efforts weren't enough to close the gap.

The Runnin' Vikes wrapped up their Arizona road trip on a high note, earning their first victory of the season with an 83-59 win over AZ Sol. After three tough losses to open the campaign, the Runnin' Vikes found their stride in the fourth and final game of the week.

BBCC showed marked improvement on offense, shooting nearly 50% from the field. The Vikings established a slim 34-30 lead at halftime but surged in the second half, tallying an impressive 49 points to pull away and secure the win. Gil Gonzalez led the charge with 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting, while also contributing 7 rebounds, while Victor Raymond added a strong performance with 14 points and 8 rebounds and to cap it off, Miguel Taylor notched his first double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

The victory provides a confidence boost for BBCC as they return home to prepare for the Big Bend Invitational, set to take place November 20-22. With momentum on their side, the Vikings aim to build on this performance in front of their home crowd. 

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.