Vikings fall short in two conference games

By FAITH MOLDAN

Bigfork Eagle

“Our biggest problem is being able to execute when the game is on the line,” Bigfork Varsity Boys’ Basketball Coach Jim Epperly said after the Vikings’ two losses last week. “We get to the point where we can win, but need to finish.”

Bigfork lost close Northwest A Conference games to the Ronan Chiefs at home last Thursday 51-56, and dropped their second game of the week to the Whitefish Bulldogs on the road Saturday 43-54 — leaving the Vikes 0-12 in the Northwest A conference and 0-17 overall.

The Vikings looked determined to secure their first win on senior night against the Chiefs, opening the game with five points from junior guard Roland Benedict. He finished the game with 18 points and a season-high six assists.

“It was Roland’s best game of the year,” Epperly said.

Bigfork and Ronan exchanged the lead a number of times in the first quarter — tying the score five times. The score was 11-11 at the end of the first quarter.

The Chiefs pulled ahead of the Vikings by six points at the start of the second quarter with baskets by Cameron Barber and Jordan St. Clair. Before Ronan could lengthen its lead anymore, Benedict added another two points and Levi Dockstader sank a three-pointer. Dockstader scored a career-high 11 points against the Chiefs, who maintained the lead the rest of the quarter and led 23-18 at halftime.

Bigfork began the second half with a 12-0 run. Dockstader, Brock Boll and Benedict all found success from behind the three-point line. Boll made two threes in a row, tying the game at 29 apiece with 5:00 remaining in the third quarter. Boll tallied eight points in the game. Benedict’s trey gave the Vikings a 32-31 lead.

The Vikes did not trail the Chiefs the rest of the quarter, as senior John White and Justin Goode maintained the Vikes’ lead.

“John’s been playing good defense for us,” Epperly said. “He’s been solid and steady.”

Benedict assisted Goode on both of his field goals. Goode put the Vikes ahead 38-34. He had a chance to increase the Bigfork lead, but missed two free-throws with less than a minute left on the clock. Ronan’s Billy Antoine scored two quick points after Goode’s trip to the charity stripe, and the quarter ended tied 38-38.

Moss Tanner, who scored 21 points for the Chiefs, scored 10 of his points in the fourth quarter. Benedict, White and Dockstader handled the scoring for the Vikes in the final quarter. White scored eight points against Ronan. That trio of Vikings kept Bigfork within two points of the Chiefs at times, but Ronan led by five at other times — a small deficit the Vikes could not overcome. Dockstader kept the Chiefs’ lead to three with both a two-point field goal (48-51) and a three-point field goal (51-54). His three came with just five seconds left in the game. Tanner secured the Chiefs’ 56-51 win at the free-throw line.

“It was emotional,” White said of Senior Night and his last home game. “It was probably my favorite game of the year. We were all playing hard and it was a close game we could have won. The crowd was great.”

Bigfork’s struggles started earlier in the Vikings’ game in Whitefish.

“We got off to a slow start in the first quarter,” Epperly said.

Bigfork’s leading scorer and guard, Benedict, was called for three fouls in the first quarter and did not play in the second quarter. The Vikings’ Kainoa Lake also had three fouls early in the game.

“That’s a lot of our offense right there,” White, who scored five points in Whitefish and also had six rebounds and three steals, said of Benedict and fellow senior Lake. Lake scored two points against the Bulldogs while Benedict led Bigfork in scoring again with 11 points. He also had four steals.

The Vikes trailed the Bulldogs 8-14 at the end of the first quarter and trailed the Dogs 14-22 at halftime.

“That put us in a hole,” Epperly said. “You can’t do that.”

The start of the third quarter was rough for the Vikes, as well. Whitefish outscored the Vikes 14-8 in the third quarter, but Bigfork came back to outscore the Dogs in the fourth quarter 21-18.

“We battled back and got within eight in the fourth quarter,” Epperly said. “We made a nice comeback. I’m proud of how the kids fought back.”

Bigfork and Whitefish were almost even in the way of rebounds and turnovers — 22-27 and 15-12 respectively. It was the Vikes’ free-throw shooting that hurt them in the end. Bigfork finished the game 9-of-19 from the free-throw line, while Whitefish was 15-of-20.

“We didn’t shoot well from the line. It could have been a closer game and we could have put the pressure on them,” Epperly said.

Boll and Andrew Whittaker both added nine points toward the Vikes’ efforts. Good scored four points while grabbing six rebounds.

The Vikings travel to Frenchtown today, Feb. 15, to face the Broncs. Frenchtown, currently ranked fourth in boys’ class A basketball, is similar to the Ronan and Whitefish teams, according to Epperly.

“It will be a good challenge,” he said.

Ronan 11 12 15 18 - 56

Bigfork 11 7 20 13 - 51

Ronan - Moss Tanner 21, Mike Fisher 5, Billy Antoine 5, Jordan St. Clair 6, Gene Adams 4, Nolan Harris 2, Cameron Barber 13.

Bigfork - Justin Goode 4, Andrew Whittaker 2, Roland Benedict 18, Brock Boll 8, John White 8, Levi Dockstader 11.

Bigfork 8 6 8 21 - 43

Whitefish 14 8 14 18 - 54

BIGFORK - Justin Goode 4, Ronald Benedict 11, Jon White 5, Levi Dockstader 3, Kainoa Lake 2, Andrew Whittaker 9, Brock Ball 9.

WHITEFISH - Kenny Overcast 6, Aaron Tkachyk 13, Luke Fenelly 5, Colt Idol 14, Jaimie Clogg 12, Brad Neilsen 1, Byron Whitcomb 3.