Viking boys drop first game of the season to McDonell Central
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by Marlys Kruger
Sports Correspondent
COLFAX — The Chippewa Falls McDonell Central Macks have had their way with the Colfax boys’ basketball team over the past few seasons and this year was no exception. Colfax hosted the Macks November 26 in the season opener for both teams and the Macks went home with a 59-47 win over the Vikings.
McDonell returns all five starters for a team that finished 16-10 a year ago but the Vikings started the game with a 4-0 lead off two buckets from Aiden Fischer.
McDonell ran off 10 points which included a couple of triples to pull ahead before Russell Polkoski dropped in a deuce and Fischer added a free toss. Colfax was off the mark on three shots from the three point circle and McDonell took advantage to move ahead 18-7.
Orion Nichols found the hoop from long range for the Vikings, canning a pair of shots and Fischer scored on a layup to cut the McDonell lead to 18-15. The Macks added a bucket but Nichols brought the crowd to their feet when he drained his third triple in a matter of minutes.
Colfax continued to peck away as Logan Swartz scored in the paint and Trey Larson knotted the score at 22-22 on a drive through the lane. Theo Hovde followed suit with a layup and Polkoski canned a triple to make it 27-22 for the Vikings. A Mack triple was followed by a Polkoski deuce and the Vikings held a slim 29-27 lead at the intermission.
After Polkoski came up with a huge block to start the second half, Fischer connected on a jumper in the lane, Swartz dropped in a free toss, Hovde scored on another drive to the hoop then assisted Fischer on a bucket and suddenly it was 36-27 for the Vikings after just four minutes gone in the half.
But, just as quickly as the Vikings were putting points up, the Macks took advantage of several Colfax turnovers and came back with their own scoring spree and went up 40-36.
Swartz knocked down a couple of free tosses but several more Colfax turnovers led to some fast break buckets for the Macks, allowing them to move ahead 48-38.
Things got worse when Swartz, a senior starter at 6’ 6”, went hard to the floor and left the game with a shoulder injury.
The Vikings kept coming back with Fischer scoring from the paint and Nichols drilling yet another triple to cut the Mack’s lead to 50-43 and Fischer’s jumper kept them within seven points down 52-45. But, Fischer’s final deuce was all the Vikings could muster and the Macks ran time off the clock in the final minutes to take the win.
Cael Holm led the Macks with 17 points which included five of the team’s seven three point shots.
Fischer was high man for the Vikings with 17 points while Nichols scored 12 points on four of the Vikings five triples. Colfax was 4-of-8 at the charity stripe.
The boys will play at UW-Stout this Saturday, December 7 against Clear Lake. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m. Colfax plays in Amery next Tuesday, December 10 and then opens conference play in Boyceville on Thursday, December 12.