Vikings fall to Wildcats, Pirates

| January 31, 2008 11:00 PM

by FAITH MOLDAN

Bigfork Eagle

It was another rough week for the Bigfork High School boys varsity basketball team.

The Vikings lost 79-42 to Columbia Falls last Thursday and 57-46 against Polson on Friday. The losses, both road games, drop the Vikes' Northwest A conference record to 1-7 and 4-10 overall.

Turnovers cost the Vikes in the first half against the Wildcats. The Vikes committed 18 turnovers in the first two quarters and were outscored 48-18. Bigfork did better in the second half, outscoring the Cats in the fourth quarter 13-12.

Roland Benedict led the Vikes in scoring with 16. He was the only Viking to score in double figures. Brock Boll chipped in with six points, while Garrett Pewe scored five. Ben Sandry and Jake Milner both had four, Scott Taylor and Levi Dockstader scored two points each, and Keenan Evans added three.

The first half caused troubles for the Vikes again in Polson. The Pirates' six-point start to the game was too much for the Vikes. Boll made both of his free throws to make the score 6-2 with 4:59 on the clock. He finished the first quarter with all six of Bigfork's points. The Vikes' shots either bounced off the backboard or rimmed out of the hoop, just missing and keeping the Vikes down 17-6 after the first.

Bigfork played even with the Pirates in the second quarter, but still had a double-digit deficit to deal with at halftime. Polson led 30-17 at the half. Bigfork trailed the Pirates by 17 midway through the second quarter and got no closer than 13.

Bigfork had narrowed Polson's lead to 11 early in the third, but Polson stretched its lead back to 15 at the end of the quarter. By the time the Vikes had gotten the Pirate lead back into single digits there were only 33 seconds remaining in the game. Bigfork had come within 11 points of the Pirates two times in the third quarter before whittling the lead to nine.

Benedict led the Vikes with 15 points, while Boll was right behind him with 14. Pewe finished the game with seven points and Dockstader added five. Donny Tudahl and Scott Taylor both scored two points, and Jake Milner had one.

The Vikes look to end their six-game losing streak against non-conference opponents Plains and Mission this week. Bigfork hosts the Horsemen, whom the Vikes defeated 71-54 on the road earlier this season, today Jan. 31. The Vikes travel to Mission Saturday.