MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Vikings (8-10) were defeated 80-72 by the Spokane Sasquatches on Wednesday. Despite another late rally, it came down to execution, Head Coach Jason Hopkins said.   

“It's the second game where our willingness to do the right thing consistently throughout the bulk of the game was really tested, and we failed that test,” Hopkins said. “We made some plays and we were able to make it a game, but a huge reason that we had to do that was because we weren't ready to execute in the way that we needed to, defensively early and offensively at stretches in the second half. We’ve got to do better.”  

Though the Vikings were competitive to start the game, Spokane quickly gained momentum and built a 44-32 lead by halftime. In the second half, Big Bend came out faster and climbed back into the game. They narrowed the margin to 54-50 as Tainui ‘Tai’ Tairoa, Miguel Taylor and Dominik Wojna found a rhythm on offense. However, the Vikings faded after Spokane extended their lead once again and secured the win.   

“Sometimes guys don't always want to give the type of effort that's required until they feel like they need to. And too often, our guys are holding onto that until they really feel like they have to do that, and that's a major difference. As our players mature over time; hopefully, that won't be something that we need to keep coaching and harping on, but right now it is,” Hopkins said.   

BBCC jumped out to an 11-7 lead at the start of the game over the Sasquatch behind efficient passing that led to scoring opportunities. Spokane responded swiftly and took the lead 15-13. The two went back and forth with the Vikings remaining within two or three points on the scoreboard.   

Spokane dug in on offense to keep the Vikings defense off balance and extended their lead to 44-32 by halftime.   

In the second half, the Vikings pushed hard from the start. Tairoa and Taylor knocked down a couple of three pointers that helped them cut the deficit to 54-50. As Hopkins made player substitutions throughout the half, their momentum slowed at times, allowing Spokane to keep a steady lead.   

When Wojna, Tairoa and Sugar Eaton entered the game, the offense got another spark. With the score at 67-61, Hopkins called a timeout to talk with his players. He told them they needed to punish Spokane for switching defenders on offense due to the mismatch it creates.   

“When they switch a small player onto a big player, we should be looking for that. I mean for a smaller guy, when he is guarded by a bigger guy, we should be able to punish him better. We didn't always (do that), because we were a step slow. We weren't quite creating an advantage with our shoulders and hips on screens, and we just have to do a better job,” he said.   

The Sasquatch rallied again to rebuild their lead in the final minutes. The Vikings tried to make a last stand, but once the game was out of reach, Spokane ran the clock out and sealed the win. Despite the loss, Hopkins found some positives from Wednesday’s game.   

“Miguel (Taylor) made shots at a higher level today than he has, which was really positive. We found some interior stuff. Tai (Tairoa) made some more shots than he has been. There's lots of things to build upon,” he said.   

The Vikings travel to Columbia Basin College Saturday to play the Hawks at 2 p.m. Hopkins said the team needs to work on consistency. 

“Ultimately teams that win at a high level do the boring, regular things on a more regular basis than we do. We do it when we feel like we have to and, and not all the time, which is what we need to do. Guys will watch the film and see, and we'll give guys kudos who are doing that and hopefully continue to press forward,” Hopkins said.   

BOX SCORE:   

SPKN: 44-36: 80  

BBCC: 32-40: 72 

    Big Bend Head Coach Jason Hopkins, in gray, talks with some of his players as they break a huddle during a timeout. Despite a late rally, the Vikings could not pull off a comeback against Spokane on Wednesday.
  

    The Vikings’ Jakari Singleton (11) pulls up for a three-point shot against Spokane on Wednesday.