Vikings and Valkyries split pair with Florence and Troy

It was an up and down week for the Vikings and Valkyries basketball teams as both teams fell on the road at Florence Friday before bouncing back with home wins over Troy Saturday.

The Vikings overcame a slow start at home Saturday to down the Troy Trojans 59-33.

Playing without injured forward Colt Thorness (ankle), Bigfork jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in the opening minutes of the game; the Vikings held just an 8-6 lead after one quarter of play.

Troy cut the lead to one in the opening moments of the second quarter, but Eli Hines and Wyatt Duke scored 12 second-quarter points for the Vikings that helped spark a 16-3 run that put Bigfork up 26-12 at the half.

The Trojans rallied in the third quarter, cutting the Bigfork lead to seven with less than two minutes to play in the frame, but the Vikings responded by scoring the first 10 points of the fourth quarter to pull away for good.

Duke led the way for the Vikings in the win with 12 points and seven rebounds while Hines also finished in double figures with 11 points. Isak Epperly contributed nine points, five rebounds and a pair of steals and assists. Wyatt Reichenbach had seven points and four rebounds, Isaac Bjorge finished with six points and five boards, Walker Fisher scored six, Levi Taylor had four points and Bryce Gilliard and Kyle Folwick each scored two.

The Vikings jumped out to an early lead at Florence on Friday, but could not hold on as they fell to the Falcons, 60-44.

Epperly scored six in the opening quarter as Bigfork went up 14-11, but the Falcons used a 16-5 second-quarter surge to build a 27-19 lead at halftime. The Vikings were unable to recover as they fell by 16.

Bjorge was the only Viking in double figures as he scored 11 points and added five rebounds and three steals. Epperly added eight points, Taylor had seven, Hines scored six, Duke had five, Asher VanKampen had four points and Fisher scored three.

Valkyries

Nine Valkyries scored Saturday and Maddison Chappuis finished with a double-double as Bigfork breezed past Troy, 60-12.

Meredith Bedford put in a pair of threes on her way to eight points in the opening quarter as Bigfork jumped out to a 14-0 lead after eight minutes of play.

Troy finally got on the scoreboard a minute into the second quarter, but the Valkyries kept the pressure on, building a 28-6 halftime lead.

It was all Bigfork in the second half as the Valkyries cruised to a 48-point victory.

Chappuis finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds to lead the way for the Valkyries, while Scout Naueau added 10 points and eight boards. Bedford had 10 points, Jessa Newton scored seven, Audrey Buenz had six points and six steals, Isabella Santistevan scored five, Ashton McAnally and Callie Martinz each scored four and Ellie Jordt had two points.

The Valkyries fell behind early at Florence Friday, but fought their way back into the game before eventually falling to the Lady Falcons, 60-50.

Bigfork trailed 29-14 at the half, but used a third-quarter surge to cut the Florence lead to just six after three quarters, 35-29. Florence was able to hold on in the fourth quarter as the Lady Falcons finished the game 22-28 from the foul line while the Valkyries went to the charity stripe just 10 times in the contest.

Ansleigh Edgerton had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Valkyries in the loss while Berreth scored nine, McAnally had seven points, Chappuis and Santistevan each scored three and Nadeau had two points. ¦