Vikings win thrilling double OT game earning D4 Regional Championship

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By Amber Hayden

It’s was a tough but satisfying  week of basketball playoffs for the Colfax boys.

Taking on Lakeland West teams Unity and Webster this past Friday and Saturday evening, March 1 and 2, the Vikings boys earned a pair of victories, including a thrilling double overtime win against the Webster Tigers in the regional final for their first Division 4 regional championship since 2013 when the Vikings won the last of their three consecutive regional titles.

In the first round of playoffs, Colfax faced Unity in a game where the Eagles were far from ready for their playoff run to end. But Colfax found a way into the paint to bring a home win to the Vikings by a score of 70-60.

During the course of the Unity contest, senior Ben Thompson eclipsed the 1,000 career-point  mark, becoming just the eighth Viking achieve the honor.

The next evening, the Vikings boys made the trip to Webster after joining the Lady Vikes in Eau Claire earlier Saturday afternoon to watch and cheer on their female counterparts a sectional championship game against the Melrose-Mindoro Mustangs.

After the two hour trip to Webster, the Vikings and Tigers, with just one loss each on the season, battled through two halves and a pair of overtime periods to determine a winner.

The Vikings’ Luke Heidorn and Ed Hydukovich sank the last three points for Colfax  as it took a heart-stopping 75-72 double overtime win.

Colfax, now 23-1, will advance to the Division 4 sectional semifinals to play another top-seeded Lakeland team, the Clear Lake Warriors (21-1) this Thursday evening, March 7 at 7 p.m. at Menomonie High School.

Colfax was scheduled to host this semifinal contest but due to the WIAA rules that require a neutral site for sectional games, the semifinal had to be moved.

The Viking boys will be vying for its first state berth since 2012 when they beat conference rival Boyceville to earn the D4 state berth.

Webster

Billed as a match-up between top-ranked and once-beaten squads, the Vikings regional championship game against the Webster Tigers on Saturday evening, March 2 lived up to the hype.

Colfax, who led by as many as 13 points in the second half, had to fend off the Tigers’ home-court comeback through not only regulation play but two thrilling overtimes before it could claim the WIAA Division 4 regional title in with a 75-72 victory.

Concordia-St. Paul prospect George Scharlau led the way for Colfax with 26 points, including 21 in the first half, to bring the senior within 52 points of a 1,000 career points. Scharlau was a threat on the inside and outside put down four triples against the Tigers along with hitting the backboards for six doubles and was two-of-six from the line.

Ben Thompson and Ed Hydukovich both heated up in the second half for the Vikings and played key roles in the Vikings win. Thompson, who scored just   two in first half, and Hydukovich, who was held scoreless through the first 18 minutes, finished with 18 and 14 points respectively with their second-half heroics.

The game would be forced into not one, but two overtimes after ending regulation at 62 all. But Ed Hydukovich hit two big free throws with 59 seconds left in the second OT to give the Vikings a four points lead. Then with less than 16 ticks left, Luke Heidorn hit the back end of a two-shot foul to account for the final point in the 75-72 Colfax win.

Webster senior Jack Washburn piloted the Tigers’ second-half comeback with 39 points on the evening including 27 in the later half and the overtimes. Washburn fouled out in the final minute of second overtime which sent Luke Heidorn to the line.

Colfax led 32-25 at half on the power of Scharlau’s play.

The Vikings continued to add to that advantage in the second half until they lead 43-30 with seven minutes gone in the second half.

That’s when Jake Washburn, the son of former major league pitcher Jared Washburn, stepped up and brought the Tigers back into contention.

The Tigers narrowed the Vikings lead until they took a 56-55 lead at the 6:32 mark.

From there it was a back-and-forth battle with limited scoring as the teams ended regulation tied at 62.

In the first overtime, Colfax and Webster each netted six points but none were bigger than Ben Thompson’s three-point basket with just 58 second left to force a second overtime.

Thompson then added two foul shots to open the second overtime and as Colfax never trailed again on its way to the win.

Adding to the points for Colfax were Jackson Hellmann with a lone double and two foul shots and Zach Rindy with two shots from the foul line.

With the win over the Tigers, Colfax has moved on to the sectional semifinals against Clear Lake this coming Thursday evening in Menomonie.

COLFAX 75, WEBSTER 72

Colfax.….….……32-43 – 75
Webster.……………25 47 – 72

TEAM STATISTICS (FG-FT-F-TP)

Colfax — B. Thompson 6-4-2-18, G. Scharlau 10-2-3-26, E. Hydukovich 6-2-2-14, J. Hellmann 1-2-2-4. Z. Rindy 0-2-0-2, L. Heidorn 5-1-3-11.

Webster —  H. Rosenbauer 3-0-0-7, T. Gustafson 4-6-4-14, J. Washburn 16-3-5-39, C. Peterson 5-0-5-10.

THREE-POINTERS
C — B. Thompson 2, G. Scharlau 4; W — J. Flaherty 2, Z. Collins 2.

Unity

It was an exciting game from start to finish for fans and the Colfax boys as they began their first round of the basketball playoffs at home against the Unity Eagles last Tuesday, February 26.

Ben Thompson got the Vikings started with a three-pointer just 30 ticks into the contest.

Thompson, who has been chasing his 1,000 career point since the beginning of February was able to sink the shot that lifted him to that plateau at 6:45 of the first half, causing an eruption of cheers from the student body along with signs congratulating the senior on his accomplishment.

Thompson finished the night with 23 points overall, which included five doubles, three triples and was four-of-four from the line against Unity. Thompson’s accomplishment makes him only the eighth Viking to hit 1,000 points in their career at Colfax.

The next two shots for Colfax would come off some creative passing from Luke Heidorn to teammates Ed Hydukovich and George Scharlau.

With quick thinking and fast hands, Heidorn was able to get the ball into the hands of Hydukovich and Scharlau for an easy four points.

Hydukovich and Scharlau finished with 16 points respectively. Hydukovich hit the backboards for six doubles and was four-of-four from the line, while Scharlau netted a lone trey, five doubles and was one-of-three from the line.

For senior Luke Heidorn, his creativity continued through both 18-minute halves of the contest against Unity, including a quick deflection of a pass from Unity’s Daniel Sorensen. Sorensen in turn fouled to send Heidorn to the line for the bonus.

Heidorn finished up the evening with a pair of threes, a single double and was three-of-seven from the line for Colfax.

In the second half Unity would find themselves in foul trouble as they sent four separate Vikings to the line in seven different foul-shot opportunities.

Wrapping it up, point-wise for Colfax, were Jackson Hellmann with a double and a foul shot, and Zach Rindy with a bonus shot.

COLFAX 70, UNITY 60

Colfax.….….……37 33 – 70
Unity.……………22 38 – 60

TEAM STATISTICS (FG-FT-F-TP)

Colfax — B. Thompson 8-4-0-23, G. Scharlau 6-1-2-16, E. Hydukovich 6-4-3-16, J. Hellmann 1-1-3-3. Z. Rindy 0-1-4-1, L. Heidorn 3-3-2-11.

Unity —  J. Flaherty 3-4-4-12, H. Foeller 1-0-2-2, L. Flaherty 1-1-1-3, Z. Collins 3-1-3-9, C. Feist 4-0-2-8, D. Sorenson 11-4-3-26.

THREE-POINTERS
C — B. Thompson 3, G. Scharlau 1, L. Heidorn 2; U — J. Flaherty 2, Z. Collins 2.