MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Vikings (4-0) extended their win streak to four-straight after defeating the Edmond Tritons 71-38 at home Friday. Head Coach Preston Wilks said he went with his jumbo lineup. 

“It was a good win for us, because we had our bigger lineup tonight, and so we were a little nervous about (Edmonds) athleticism and their ability to get by us on the perimeter. I'm happy that we held them to 38 points. I had no idea that we'd be able to do that defensively with all our big girls out on the perimeter... they played really well,” Wilks said.  

The Vikings dominated the Tritons on defense by creating several turnovers throughout the game. After putting up 23 points in the first quarter, they maintained a steady lead through the second and third quarters. In the fourth, they erupted for 28 points to seal the win.  

Despite the dominant win, Wilks had a few notes for them to work on going forward.  

“We've got to cut down on our turnovers. We've got to break down and play off of two feet when we get to the paint, and then we just need to knock down a few more free throws if we can,” he said.  

In the first quarter, the Vikings earned most of their points in the paint. They captured momentum quickly after creating several turnovers on defense and keeping the Tritons out of rhythm with their height advantage. At  the end of the first, Big Bend led 23-12.  

The Vikings continued to control the lead. The Tritons capitalized on a few open shots to prevent the deficit from widening. By halftime, BBCC led 34-23.  

The pace of the game slowed down to start the third quarter due to both teams getting into foul trouble. Both teams only put up single-digit scores in the third, but the Vikings began to get hot toward the end after Oakley Homer nailed a three-point shot.  

In the fourth quarter, Big Bend shifted its offense into another gear and began pushing the pace of the game. Homer knocked down two more threes, and Claire Cox followed that up with a three-pointer of her own. The Vikings put up the rest of their points in the paint, and after scoring 28, they ran away with the game for their fourth win of the season.  

Ashlynn Purcell, a redshirt freshman forward, returned to the court tonight for the first time since tearing her ACL last season. Wilks said he was curious to see how she would navigate any mental blocks.  

“She was really tentative tonight. She even expressed that she was a little nervous, but, man, she came out and played really well in the last five minutes for us and that's what we're going to see hopefully now the rest of the season for her,” Wilks said.  

Homer finished the game with 15 points, all of which came from her three point shots which made five out of eight attempts.  

“Oakley is a great shooter. She's been a little bit of a funk, and so it was really fun for her to shoot tonight. We've been emphasizing to let the offense come to you, don't force it and she did that tonight,” Wilks said.  

Oaklie Jackman led the team with 17 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Brooke Warren made her presence known on defense with two blocks, four steals and eight defensive rebounds – 14 overall. Purcell, Homer and Cox also recorded a block against the Tritons.  

While still early in their season, team chemistry and forming a unified front is a point of emphasis this season, Wilks said. With four returning players this season, everyone has come into this season intentional about being on the same page, as they believe that is key to their success this season.   

Wilks said the players have been talking about pushing each other on the court and being more comfortable holding each other accountable. Jackman is embracing this vision for the team as she heads into her sophomore season.   

“I think we need to stick together. That's a huge thing for me,” Jackman said. “I think we need to take everything 100% and we need to push each other in practice and translate it into games. Even when times to get hard, we need to come together instead of falling apart.”  

Last season, Jackman finished first team All-Region in the NWAC and was the Freshman of the Year. As much as she enjoyed her performance last season, she also called it a good learning experience.   

“It was awesome. I know I learned a lot, especially coming out of high school, it was faster. It was different than I thought it'd be, but I'm super excited this year. Our team looks pretty good. I hope that I can get some more opportunities to keep playing,” Jackman said.   

He said they will also need to stay healthy this season. The Vikings roster is made up of nine players which makes for a slightly thin depth chart. As long as his players can stay on the court, he feels confident they will have another successful season as far as wins and losses go.    

Wilks said they can come out of the season as one of the better defensive teams in the NWAC. Due to their height, they are able to play zone defense more effectively. That style of defense is harder to execute at this level of college basketball, he said.   

“Just like we did last year, we feel like we can be really successful in playing zone defense because of our length,” Wilks said.   

Wilks complimented the impact his assistant coaches Ken Ballard and David Herrud have had on implementing his vision for this team.   

“They're really understanding of what we like to do. They're super committed to the team, and they sacrifice so much, and I'm excited to see already their growth and their development and being able to help the girls and help me accomplish our purposes, and I'm really excited about what they can do this year to help contribute to our success as well,” he said.  

Jackman said she feels confident in this team's potential to be successful this season. She feels the Vikings are poised to have another winning season and make a deep run in the NWAC tournament in March.  

“That's ultimately my goal, but I think with anything I just want to take my experience here and use it to learn and get even better, even if we don't win, I want to go out with everything I can,” Jackman said. 

The Vikings return to their home court on Nov. 22 to play Northwest Indian College at 3 p.m. 

BOX SCORE: 

EDMD: 12-11-8-7: 38
BBCC: 23-11-9-28: 71  

    Claire Cox (10) shoots over two Edmonds defenders during their game on Friday. The Vikings made seven threes against the Tritons.
  

    Kaliyah Evans, left, and Emily Dana, right, celebrate after their teammate made a shot against Edmonds on Friday.
  

    The Vikings’ Brooke Warren looks for a passing opportunity during their game against Edmonds. Warren had eight defensive rebounds, four steals, and two blocked shots on Friday.
  

    Ashlynn Purcell (4) receives feedback from Head Coach Preston Wilks, right, during a timeout against Edmonds on Friday. Purcell returned to the court after a torn ACL she suffered last season.