Vikings steamrolled by Cardinals
Treynor Senior Clara Teigland led the way with 17 points for the Cardinals over the Vikings cruising to a 68-33 victory in dominant fashion.
“We really talked about making sure we stay calm in the pressure they put on us,” said Vikings Head Coach Jill Vanderhoof. “We did it well at times, but continue to work on that as an overall part of our game to make a consistency. We also focused on different defenses to not allow them to stay comfortable if we stayed in one defense for too long.”
Junior Ella Langer got the Vikings going with the first bucket of the night. Soon after, Junior Delaney Goshorn made a shot from downtown, giving the Vikings an early 5-0 lead.
The Cardinals fought their way back and soon took a 14-12 lead for their first lead of the game with the first quarter approaching an end. Freshman Ava Paulsen tied the game up briefly, but after that, the Cardinals took a 10-0 run to finish off the quarter.
The Cardinals were in command opening the second quarter with a 7-2 run. With halftime approaching, Goshorn was fouled, sending her to the line, scoring her 9th and 10th point of the night, but the Vikings had some work to do trailing by 23 points heading into the locker room.
“We had to come back out and show that we were much better than how we ended the half,” Vanderhoof said. “We needed to make sure we were disciplined in running the plays, making reads on passes and cuts and making sure we handled the pressure better. We adjusted a few sets offensively and adjusted defensive strategies to limit touches for a few of their players.”
Treynor continued to keep themselves locked in and dominate the Vikings in the second half, opening the third quarter with an 8-2 run. Vanderhoof called a timeout with three and a half minutes with her team trailing by 28.
In the final quarter, Freshman Makenna Paulsen scored the first Vikings bucket, but the Cardinals soundly defeated the Vikings for their 17th win of the season and handed the Vikings their third consecutive loss and 13th on the season.
Following the game, the seniors got recognized by the school with a rose entering the gymnasium with their parents. Senior Ellie Peterson got recognized with her high school basketball days nearing an end.
“Ellie is such a great person to have around,” Vanderhoof said. “A great athlete, but a very genuine human being that works hard and encourages others. She puts in a lot of effort and has been a great mentor and leader for our team.”
The Vikings next game will be Tuesday on the road against the 10-9 Tri-Center Trojans. The Trojans are led by Junior Taylor Kenkel with 171 points, Junior Alexis Flaharty with 128 rebounds and Sophomore Quincey Schneckloth with 53 assists.
“We still want to see more aggressiveness on defense and get a few more steals to help lead into our transition offense,” Vanderhoof added. “Ball movement will be key along with making sure we attack the hoop and finish at the rim."