Wolves scratch and claw for victory over Vikings
Tuesday at home, the AHSTW Vikings got locked into a close battle with the IKM-Manning Wolves with the Wolves coming away victorious in the end, 46-45.
“I think we got stops when we needed to get our stops,” said Wolves Freshman Keagan Eischeid. “We all believed in each other, and I think when we needed offense we came out and did well.”
Wolves Junior Oriah Meiners made the first shot of the game from 3-point range, which was followed shortly after by Vikings Freshman Etta Partlow before Vikings head coach Jason McCall called a timeout.
When play resumed, Wolves Senior Taylor Beckendorf launched a shot from 3-point range, and right after Eischeid came up with a steal, drove to the hoop and scored with a layup.
“She did a nice job of posting up and just attacking the basket,” said Wolves Head Coach Gene Rasmussen of Eischeid. “She did a really good job in the post area.”
Later in the quarter, Wolves Junior McKenna Benton made back-to-back 3-point shots putting the Wolves up 12-8, but the Vikings answered back with a 3-pointer from Freshman Reese Knop. The final shot of the quarter came from Wolves Sophomore Addisyn Bandow at the basket leading 17-11.
Partlow opened the second quarter with a mid-range jump shot, cutting the lead back to four points. Vikings Freshman Clara Pace got the Wolves back within two when she managed to make a shot at the basket, forcing a timeout from Rasmussen.
“We’ve been talking about being a little more patient, not getting complacent,” McCall said. “This team is young enough; they’re figuring out what their strengths are on that side of the ball. I give them credit for continuing to put in work and get the looks they want to get.”
When play resumed, the Wolves went on a 7-0 run, starting with a 3-point shot from Meiners, and back-to-back shots at the basket from Eischeid and Beckendorf forcing a timeout from McCall. The Vikings got back in a rhythm, cutting the Wolves lead to five at halftime.
“We needed to play defense,” Eischeid said. “Defense is a big thing for us right now, and we need to rebound, play smart, and not turnover the ball, and that will lead into our offense.”
Pace scored the first points of the third quarter via free throws. Following her baskets, the Wolves offense got going with an 8-0 run that was capped off with back-to-back shots from Eischeid forcing a timeout from McCall with his team trailing by 11.
Following McCall’s timeout, Partlow got the Viking offense back in a rhythm with a basket, which was followed by a shot from Viking Junior Ava Paulsen. Beckendorf put a temporary stop to the Vikings run, but then the Vikings went on a 7-0 run to close out the quarter trailing 40-35.
Vikings Freshman Bella Lamp cut the lead to two with a 3-point shot to open the fourth quarter. However, the Wolves managed to keep themselves in front with shots from Senior Laynie Gawley and Eischeid hanging on for a 1-point victory.
“The girls have been playing well,” Rasmussen said. “They work well together, play hard, and that’s been key.”
The Wolves return home Thursday for a matchup with the 5-2 Exira-EHK Spartans, who have won three consecutive games. The Spartans are led by Sophomore Taryn Petersen averaging 20.8 points and 4.5 assists per game, along with Senior Harlee Fahn averaging 6.5 rebounds per game.
“I think we need to play aggressive against them,” Eischeid said. “We need to shut down their offense and play good defense.”
The Vikings won’t return to the court until Jan. 17 on the road against the 4-4 Underwood Eagles. The Eagles are led by Junior Carly Nelson averaging 12.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, along with Freshman Nevara Bettes averaging 2.6 assists per game.
“You’ve got to be patient with it and make it fun a little bit,” McCall said. “There should be a balance between working hard and putting time in together.”
