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Sports roundup: Vikings basketball sees a tough week while Valkyries rack up wins

by JEREMY WEBER
For the Eagle | February 2, 2022 12:00 AM

The Vikings basketball squad had a tough week, dropping three straight while the Valkyries improved to 13-1 with wins over Loyola and Columbia Falls. The Vikings wrestlers were at home as the regular season winds down.

VIKINGS BASKETBALL

The Vikings saw an 11-point lead disappear in the final four minutes Monday as fourth-ranked Florence-Carlton used a last-second basket to defeat Bigfork 59-57.

A pair of Nick Walker free throws put the Vikings up 52-41 with just over three minutes to play, but the Falcons answered with a pair of threes and a driving layup by Beau Neal cut the Bigfork lead to 52-49 with two minutes to play.

Neal later gave Florence a 57-56 lead with a pair of free throws with 32.4 seconds remaining, but Colin Wade split a pair of free throws to tie the game 57-57 moments later.

The Vikings defense looked as if it would force overtime on the final play, but Patrick Duchien broke free under the basket to score with 0.4 seconds remaining as Florence got the win.

Walker led the Vikings effort with 19 points while Isak Epperly, Bryce Gilliard and Colin Wade each scored nine.

Neal scored 23 to lead Florence.

Florence 10 17 12 20 - 59

Bigfork 11 17 13 16 - 57

BIGFORK - Nick Walker 19, Isak Epperly 9, Bryce Gilliard 9, Colin Wade 9, Levi Taylor 6, Wyat Johnson 4, Eli Thorness 1.

FLORENCE - Beau Neal 23, Caden Zaluski 9, Patrick Duchien 8, Jace Pederson 7, Levi Posey 4, Aidan Wayne 3, Blake Shoupe 3, Ethan Alexander 2.

Epperly and Wade were both in double figures for the Vikings at Loyola Saturday as a Bigfork comeback effort came up just short in the fourth quarter of a 49-46 loss to the Rams.

Bigfork trailed 31-22 at the half but cut the Loyola lead to 38-36 going into the fourth quarter.

Bigfork 8 14 14 10 - 46

Loyola 16 15 7 11 - 49

BIGFORK: Isak Epperly 10, Colin Wade 10, Levi Taylor 9, Nick Walker 6, Bryce Gilliard 5, Eli Thorness 3, George Brown 2, Wyatt Johnson 1.

LOYOLA: Keenan Russell 20, Noah Haffey 11, Ethan Stack 9, Reynolds Johnston 6, Bryce Lapham 3.

The Vikings fell behind 16-6 after one quarter at Columbia Falls Jan. 25 and never recovered as they fell to the Wildcats 49-28. Johnson led the Bigfork effort with eight points while Walker added five.

Bigfork 6 8 6 8 - 28

Columbia Falls 16 12 8 13 - 49

BIGFORK: Wyatt Johnson 8, Nick Walker 5, Levi Taylor 3, Bryce Gilliard 3, Eli Thorness 3, Isak Epperly 2, Cole Knopik 1.

COLUMBIA FALLS: Jace Hill 14, Mark Robison 9, Alihn Anderson 6, Hunter Goodman 6, Cade Morgan 4, Cody Schweikert 3, Bryce Dunham 2, John Dyon 2, Andrew Miner 2, Dayne Tu 1.

VALKYRIES BASKETBALL

The 4th ranked Bigfork Valkyries moved to 13-1 on the season with a convincing win over 6B leader Loyola 60-45 Saturday. The Vals were led by Braeden Gunlock’s 18 points while Emma Berreth and Scout Nadeau contributed 14 points each. The Breakers were led by Kennedy McKorkle, who led all scorers with 21, and Gio Horner, who chipped in with 12.

Valkyries 18 15 15 12 - 60

Loyola 14 8 20 3 – 45

BIGFORK – Emma Berreth 14, Madison Chappius 4, Ava Davey 9, Braeden Gunlock 18, Scout Nadeau 14, Callie Gemballa 1.

LOYOLA – Nat Clevenger 7, Kennedy McKorkle 21, Char Cummings 3, Gio Horner 12, Jami Janetski 2.

After suffering their first loss of the year in St. Ignatius Jan 22, the Bigfork Valkyries bounced back nicely against Class A valley rival Columbia Falls, 30-38 Jan. 25. The Vals broke away in the third quarter, where they outscored the Wildkats 14-3. Bigfork was led in scoring by Senior Emma Berreth, in her first game back after a 10-day concussion protocol, with 13 points and Braeden Gunlock backed her up with 12. The Wildkats were led by Grace Gedleman with 14 and Hope McAtee had 10 points.

Columbia Falls 7 3 3 17 – 30

Bigfork 4 4 14 16 – 38

COLUMBIA FALLS – Grace Gedlaman 14, Hope McAtee 10, Maddie Robison 4, Scout Medhus 2.

BIGFORK – Emma Berreth 13, Braeden Gunlock 12, Ava Davey 6, Scout Nadeau 4, Madison Chappuis 2, Callie Gemballa 1.

WRESTLING

The Vikings wrestlers were at home for a mixer Friday. Full results were not made available.

103

Traic Fainter (Bigfork) over Gavin Schrenk (Plains/Hot Springs) (Fall 0:30)

113

Diego Rodriguez (Bigfork) over Gavin Schrenk (Plains/Hot Springs) (Fall 3:38)

126

John Waterbury (Plains/Hot Springs) over Kaden Torgenrud (Bigfork) (Fall 3:58)

126

Angus Anderson (Bigfork) over John Waterbury (Plains/Hot Springs) (Fall 1:46)

145

David Schulze (Plains/Hot Springs) over Wyatt Elwell (Bigfork) (Fall 1:37)

Brady Schrenk (Plains/Hot Springs) over Wyatt Elwell (Bigfork) (Fall 2:53)

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Bigfork's Isak Epperly is fouled going up for a shot in the fourth quarter against Florence-Carlton Monday. (Jeremy Weber/Bigfork Eagle)

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Bigfork's Eli Thorness is fouled by Florence-Carlton's Patrick Duchien as the Vikings battled the Falcons Monday. (Jeremy Weber/Bigfork Eagle)

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Bigfork's Colin Wade glides in for two points in the first quarter against Florence-Carlton Monday. (Jeremy Weber/Bigfork Eagle)

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Bigfork's Nick Walker goes high above Florence-Carlton's Jace Pederson for two points Monday. (Jeremy Weber/Bigfork Eagle)