Goshorn scores 1000th point in regular season finale
In the fourth quarter of Thursday’s home game against the Denison Monarchs, Senior Viking Delaney Goshorn made a mid-range jump shot to secure her 1000th career point.
“It means a lot,” Goshorn said. “I’ve put in a lot of time on my own with my parents at our shop. It’s really rewarding, and doing it at home, our last home game of my career means a lot.”
Senior Viking Saydi Paulsen scored the first points of the game via free throws putting her team up 2-0. The Monarchs responded back with a 5-0 run with a 3-point shot from Whitlee Auen, followed by a layup from Mayah Slater. Paulsen was fouled again, sending her to the line where she made both free throws.
Slater made a 3-point shot following Paulsen’s free throws, but Paulsen connected for her own 3-pointer, putting the Vikings down by one.
“We all just had to realize that we had to work as a team, and everyone’s got to contribute, and we wanted to win tonight,” Paulsen said. “I just realized it’s towards the end of my season, and I wanted to go out strong.”
A few more shots were exchanged by both teams with the final shot of the quarter coming from Senior Viking Ella Langer giving the Vikings a 15-13 lead heading into the second quarter.
Paulsen opened the second quarter with another 3-point shot, giving her 10 points overall on the night, followed by a layup from Langer giving the Vikings a 5-point lead. Vikings head coach Jason McCall called a timeout following Langer’s bucket. When play resumed, Senior Monarch Kiana Schulz made a shot from 3-point range cutting the Vikings lead to two points.
The Vikings answered back in a big way going on a 7-0 run with shots from Langer and Goshorn, forcing a timeout from Monarch head coach Adam Mich. Senior Viking Graycen Partlow capped off the first half with a mid-range floater, giving the Vikings a 9-point lead heading into the locker room.
“We had to keep the intensity up,” Paulsen said. “We couldn’t drop off because we were getting tired. We had to just keep going after it.”
Paulsen continued to knock down shots opening the third quarter with a basket, putting the Vikings up 31-22. Senior Monarch Addison Inman was fouled, making one of two free throws, but Goshorn answered back with free throws and a mid-range bucket, putting the Vikings up 12, forcing another timeout from Mich. The Vikings took a 15-point lead into the final quarter.
The Monarchs opened the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run before the Vikings scored their first basket 3 plus minutes into the quarter courtesy of a 3-pointer from Goshorn.
“It’s a good situational thing for us where you have a lead and you’re up by 15, next thing you know you’re up by 7, and it can go one of two ways where either you lock in and find a way to get stops or turn the ball over,” McCall said. “They [Denison] started to get on a run, we started throwing the ball to them and got a little discouraged, but once we settled in and made a simple pass or simple play, they regained their confidence, so I think that’s huge for them.”
A few more minutes went by with both team exchanging buckets. Goshorn on the next possession scored her 1000th career point, putting the Vikings up by 10. Goshorn received a standing ovation from the Viking fan base.
“It was amazing,” Paulsen said of Goshorn. “She works her butt off, and she earned that. We’re all so excited for her.”
The Vikings cruised to a 57-47 victory, earning their 12th win of the season, finishing the regular season with a 12-8 record.
“It’s bittersweet with the regular season being over,” Goshorn said. “I’m really excited though. It’s just really exciting to come out with a record like this to end our regular season.”
The Vikings will open up tournament play Tuesday at 7 p.m. on the road against the 14-6 Exira-EHK Spartans in the Class 2A – Region 3 Game. The Spartans are led by Taryn Petersen, who scored 400 points this season, averaging 20 per game, along with 3.7 assists, and Jaelynn Petersen, averaging 8.1 rebounds.
“It’s a pretty prestigious program,” McCall said of Exira-EHK. “I know they are really well coached and well known. We’re going to have to play the way we did tonight. We just have to go out there and play basketball because I know they can. If they force themselves to do it at a high level, I think we’re pretty dangerous.”