BASKETBALL: Bigfork boys fight past Troy

BIGFORK — The stands were full. The crowd was hyped. The lights went down for the starting lineups and Bigfork fans were ready to watch their undefeated Vikings put on a show against a one-win Troy team that looked woefully overmatched on paper.

Not so fast.

Instead of a free-flowing piece of basketball performance art, they watched a sloppy battle filled with missed shots, loose balls and scraps underneath that nonetheless sent the crowd home happy as the undefeated Vikings gutted their way to a 43-27 win against a gritty Trojans team Friday night in District 7B action.

The hosts had a miserable night shooting, especially from the perimeter, and the 43 points are 15 fewer than the Vikings (8-0, 3-0 District 7B) had scored in any other game this year.

“We just weren’t finishing real well down low and that’s something we’ll work on this week,” Bigfork coach Sam Tudor said.

“Troy played really well. That’s probably one of the better Troy teams Bigfork’s run into in a while and they’re going to improve.”

The Trojans (1-5, 0-3) did not look like a team that had lost four of its first five games and hung within single-digits most of the first half. A 9-2 run midway through the second quarter helped the Vikings extend their lead to 24-9, and they were ahead 24-12 at halftime. The game would get no closer in the second half.

“We just didn’t make plays,” Troy coach Jerry Mee said.

“We were presented with times where we could and our passes just may have been a little bit off, or just out of our fingertips, or we threw it a little bit early, or we threw a little bit late.”

George Gibson was the one Viking who was able to finish with some consistency and carried most of the load. The senior big man finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, continuing an impressive start to his final prep season.

“We used to sit up in the bleachers and watch (Gibson) play as a freshman and go ‘there’s no way that kid’s going to play varsity’,” Tudor said.

“He’s put that much work into it. It’s been a lot of fun to watch him improve, and he can actually finish better than (tonight) and that’s the scary thing about George.”

Gibson matched up inside against undersized but ultra-athletic Troy center Sean Opland, a battle that presented unique challenges.

“It’s different,” Gibson said of playing against Opland, a Montana State football recruit and state finalist in the high jump last year.

“You have to pay a lot more attention and focus on getting position on him, boxing him out and making sure you get between him and the basket.”

“I thought our bigs did a pretty good (against Opland),” Tudor added.

“They’re bigger than (Opland) but he’s springy and he’s a tough player.”

Opland finished with 11 points, including an acrobatic tip-in at the end of the first half. Adam Tallmadge led Troy with 12, eight of which came in the fourth quarter.

Gibson was the only Viking in double-figures. Joseph Potkonjak had eight and Adam Jordt added seven. There were only two 3-pointers made in the game between the two teams, one from Potkonjak and the other from Jordt.

Bigfork returns home Thursday against Thompson Falls in another conference game at 6:30 p.m.

Troy 6 6 4 11 — 27

Bigfork 11 13 12 7 — 43

TROY — Dillon Savage 0 0-0 0, Tucker Winn 0 1-4 1, Adam Tallmadge 5 2-2 12, Sean Opland 4 3-4 11, Mason Chapel 0 0-0 0, Cody Johnston 1 1-1 3, Kolton Winebark 0 0-0 0, Trinity Rice 0 0-0 0. Totals — 10 7-11 27.

BIGFORK — Anders Epperly 1 1-2 3, Adam Jordt 3 0-0 7, Joseph Potkonjak 3 1-2 8, George Gibson 7 3-4 17, Garrett Beville 0 1-4 1, Randy Stultz 0 0-0 0, Logan Taylor 0 0-0 0, Jonathan Landon 2 1-3 5, Levi Spanogle 1 0-0 2, Beau Santistevan 0 0-2 0. Totals — 17 7-17 43.

3-point field goals — Troy 0, Bigfork 2 (Jordt, Potkonjak). Team fouls — Troy 16, Bigfork 13. Fouled out — None. Technical fouls — None. Records — Bigfork (8-0, 3-0 District 7B), Troy (1-5, 0-3).