Viking win streak snapped by Chargers at home
Junior Shay Lemke and Sophomore Camdyn Richter of the ACGC Chargers set the tone Monday night in Avoca, going on a 12-0 run against the AHSTW Vikings to open the game en route to a dominant 78-57 victory.
“They [Chargers] were kind of who we thought they were,” said Viking Head Coach Jason McCall. “They shot the ball really well. It seemed like every shot that went up fell in for them. But that’s part of the game. When you have a hot night like that, you have to find other ways to win, or just stay in the game.”
The Vikings scored its first bucket when Senior Delaney Goshorn was fouled, making both free throw attempts, but Senior Charger Kelsey Carlson responded with back-to-back shots putting her team up 17-2.
Vikings Seniors Rylie Knop and Saydi Paulsen sunk a couple of shots from 3-point range before the first quarter expired, but the Chargers took a commanding 30-10 lead into the second quarter.
The Chargers kept their foot on the gas, opening the second quarter with a 6-0 run until Sophomore Viking Makenna Paulsen was fouled. She made both shots, ending the Chargers run for the moment.
The Vikings looked like they were starting to gain momentum with a 5-2 run and a 3-pointer from Goshorn, followed by free throws from Senior Ella Langer, and Goshorn making a 3-point buzzer beater to conclude the first half, giving her eight points on the night.
“It’s nice when you’re down like that, and you go into the half hitting a buzzer beater, because everybody kind of forgets about everything prior to that a little bit,” McCall said. “It was cool to come into the locker room and see that they were ready to listen, already discussing and talking when I got in there. Knowing they were still engaged and ready to continue to discuss what we needed to do in the second half was awesome. A lot of teams and players would just check out and call it a night being down 24 at the half.”
The third quarter opened on a high note for the Vikings with Goshorn making another 3-point shot, followed by a basket from Langer. The Chargers continued its dominance going on a 10-0 run, at one point leading by 30 points.
Makenna Paulsen put a stop to the run with free throws, followed by Senior Graycen Partlow getting in on the action, along with shots from Goshorn and Sophomore Halle Goodman. The Vikings closed out the third quarter on a 5-2 run, but still trailed by 26.
The Vikings were determined not to go down without a fight early in the fourth quarter with back-to-back 3’s from Saydi Paulsen and Goshorn, followed by free throws from [Saydi] Paulsen. Langer added a 3-pointer down the stretch, giving her 18 points on the night.
“She [Langer] played a heck of a game,” McCall said. “I’m super proud of her. The last couple of weeks, she has turned the switch a little bit on defense, and I think that’s led to a lot of confidence for her on offense. She definitely impacted the game, and kept us in it.”
A few more buckets were exchanged, but the Vikings 3-game win streak was snapped, moving its record to 3-3 on the season. Tuesday night at home at 6 p.m., they will be back in action against the 1-4 Missouri Valley Lady Reds. They are led by Grace Herman with 73 points, averaging 14.6 points per game, 40 rebounds, and six assists.
“We just need to get off to a fast start,” McCall added. “It doesn’t need to be anything crazy, but I think settling in earlier than we have been this season. If we get off to a hot start and trust that we can shoot the ball, and we’re shooting the ball better, I think it’ll change how the game goes for us.”