Vikings hold on for close basketball win over Bloomer Blackhawks
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
by Marlys Kruger
Sports Correspondent
BLOOMER — After a 21 day layoff due to a game cancellation and the school holiday, the Colfax girls’ basketball team had to shake the rust off when they traveled to Bloomer for a non-conference game Thursday, January 2. After giving up an early lead, the Vikings used a couple of big shots in the last minute to pull out a 59-57 win over the Blackhawks.
Bloomer has been known to score most of their points this season by way of the three-point shot and that’s just how they started this game.
The Vikings countered with an 11-point run on shots in the paint by Clara Hydukovich, Brynn Sikora, Sierra Shipman and Kaysen Goodell along with a Goodell free toss. Bloomer drained another triple but Shipman scored on a put back and a Viking free throw made it 14-6 in the Viking’s favor.
Jordyn Bowe scored from close range, but the Blackhawks began to find their range from close up as they hit a pair of buckets and two free throws to cut the Colfax lead to 16-12. The Vikings continued to work in the paint, scoring three times on offensive rebounds and a couple of Shipman free tosses while the Blackhawks knocked down a trio of triples to keep them in the game and cut the Viking advantage to 24-21.
Bowe scored on yet another drive to the hoop which was countered by another Bloomer deuce. With 46 seconds left in the first half, the Vikings had the ball and were holding for a final shot, but it backfired on them as the ball was stolen and a Blackhawk player scored with seven seconds left on a fast break, ending the half with Colfax leading by just a point at 26-25.
Sikora started the second half scoring with a three-point shot from the top of the circle and that was quickly countered by a Bloomer triple.
Colfax pulled ahead by five points on buckets from Sikora, Bowe and Goodell who added a free throw, but every time they looked like they would pull ahead further, another Bloomer triple kept it close. Goodell drilled a shot from long range for another five-point lead at 38-33 and once again the Blackhawks, who are not afraid to launch those three-point shots, hit another one.
Bowe went to work, scoring on a free throw then driving the baseline for a bucket, but after a Bloomer free throw and two more triples, the Blackhawks took a 43-41 lead. Their lead didn’t last long as Sikora came right back with her own three-point shot, then scored from close range for a 46-43 Vikings’ lead.
Both teams struggled in the next few minutes to get the ball in the hoop, but the Blackhawks finally scored in the paint and added a free throw to knot the score at 46-46 with around five minutes left.
Bowe broke the tie with a close range shot but Aliya Hartman, one of three sophomore triplets for Bloomer, drained a shot from way downtown to put her team back up by a point. Colfax committed their seventh foul, sending a Blackhawk to the line to hit two free tosses, and after yet another trey, it was 54-48 in Bloomer’s favor.
Bowe continued to come up big, dropping in a pair of free throws and Goodell canned a triple to cut the Bloomer lead to 55-53.The Blackhawks spent the rest of the game at the free throw line, making just 2-of-6 attempts but were up 57-53.
Bowe came through with a shot from behind he arc, and after a Viking steal on their full court press, Bowe drove to the hoop for a bucket and added a free throw with it for a 59-57 lead with nine seconds left. Bloomer turned the ball over on a long pass and the Vikings escaped with the win.
Bowe led the Vikings with 21 points while Goodell added 13 and Sikora 12. Colfax shot 8-for-15 from the foul line and knocked down five triples. The Hartman triplets – Ciara, Aliya and Briella combined for 38 points with Aliya and Ciara both draining four triples and Brook Petske scored 14 points with four of her own treys. Bloomer finished with 13 shots from long range and were 12-for-21 at the charity stripe.
Colfax hosted Middle Border leader St. Croix Central this past Monday, January 6 before heading to Glenwood City Thursday for a D-SC contest. Next Monday, January 13 the Lady Vikings play at Chippewa Falls McDonell Central and then return home the following evening to host Mondovi who is unbeaten in conference play.