Vikes struggle but still top Thompson Falls

The Vikings basketball team struggled in their first game back from the Holiday Break, a home game against Thompson Falls, but they were able to come away with a 51-44 victory.

"When you're 13-62 from the field, it makes it difficult to win basketball games," said Paul LaMott, Bigfork High School head boys basketball coach.

The Bluehawks led 11-9 at the end of the first quarter and both teams scored 14 in the second.

"It was one of those situations where it was a tight game and the boys came into it wanting to play well in front of the home crowd after losing to Loyola, and then when the game got tight and we got behind, we lost some confidence," LaMott said. "We started missing some shots that we really should've been making."

The game stayed close in the third quarter with Bigfork (5-1, 3-0) scoring 11 points to Thompson Falls' 12.

"Thompson Falls had control of the game until there were about two minutes left," LaMott said. "They were ahead by seven with about four-and-a-half minutes left. Then the guys just believed that they could actually win and started playing cramped-down defense and we held them at 44 for the last two to three minutes of the game."

The change-up worked and Bigfork allowed the Bluehawks to put up just seven points while they scored 17 and took the win.

Carter Sorensen and Christian Ker led the Vikes with 10 points apiece.

Ker had eight rebounds and four steals. Sorensen had six rebounds and six steals. Lael Richmond contributed nine points and led the team in rebounding with 14. Richmond was five for six from the line, which included critical free throws in the final moments of the game.

"We faced adversity. We could not hit a shot," LaMott said. "What we have been working on since day one is having the defensive ability to come back from those types of adversities. So, it was a tribute to the entire team that we were able to overcome our offensive trouble using our defensive skills. What I was most pleased about is that even when we were down we still believed that it was our game to win."

The Vikes travel to Plains today, Jan. 7, and Troy on Saturday.

Their next home game is Thursday, Jan. 14, when they host Ronan, a previous conference foe from the Bigfork's time in the Northwest A division.