MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Vikings (9-13) came up just short of a home victory against the Wenatchee Valley Knights on Wednesday. The game remained close throughout, but the Vikings were unable to gain the lead and fell 60-63. 

“Obviously a disappointing outcome, we didn’t play nearly as well as we needed to play in order to get a win,” said Vikings Head Coach Jason Hopkins. “But we got to learn from it and move on so we can try and extend the season here.” 

Wenatchee was the first on the board opening the game with a three-point shot, but the Vikings responded and gained the lead for a short time. The Vikings stayed afloat throughout the first half claiming the lead multiple times and by halftime were only one point behind. 

The Knights had a short extension to their lead to start the second half, but the Vikings stayed competitive, and the game remained a defensive bout as the two teams kept the score tight. BBCC had the opportunity to tie the game up in the final seconds, but the Wenatchee Valley defense prevailed, and the Vikings fell 60-63. 

Sugar Eaton led the team offensively with 26 points, two rebounds and went 6-8 on free throws. Dominik Wojna took over on rebounds earning eight total throughout the game with seven of them occurring defensively.  

Despite the loss, Hopkins said there were plenty of positives that were seen throughout Wednesday’s game, such as having great ball movement and creating defensive opportunities. Eaton, along with being the offensive leader, showed great progression as a point guard. 

“We gave up very few opportunities to them at the rim, so defensively we were happy there,” said the coach. “Despite a late offensive rebound, we held them to a very low number of offensive rebounds as well.” 

Hopkins said the main struggle for the Vikings was in their defensive rotations as they got into their own head about making the offensive plays. 

“We missed some uncharacteristic plays ... We missed eight points in transition and in fairly easy opportunities that we really needed to convert,” he said. “We’ve got to work on just being solid there and not allowing our frustrations to get in the way of our performance.” 

Bottom line for the Vikings is that now is the time to start winning, said Hopkins. The Vikings sit towards the bottom of the East Region in the Northwest Athletic Conference but still have a chance to claim the fourth seed if they can stack some wins in their next matchups. 

Saturday’s game against the Walla Walla Warriors will be crucial for the Vikings to bump up in the ranks as the Warriors sit just one win above BBCC. Hopkins said the team has shown great improvement on all sides of the ball this season and that the young team has progressed through the developmental process.  

“Just from this year, those guys (are) progressing to become the players that they’ll need to be for the rest of the season,” he said.  

Hopkins said he is also hoping to see the return of starter Tai Tairoa, who has been out due to health concerns with his knee. A return from Tairoa on Saturday is something that he said changes the outlook for the team. 

“There’s still some things that are up in the air, but I’m really happy with the progress that our freshmen are making and hopefully we’ll be healthy down the stretch,” said Hopkins. 

The Vikings host the Warriors on Saturday at 2 p.m. 

BOX SCORE:  

BBCC: 32-28: 60
WVCC: 33-30: 63 

    Vikings freshman Sugar Eaton motions to a teammate as he moves down the home court on Wednesday. Eaton led the team on offense with 26 points scored.
  

    Dominik Wojna, a sophomore at BBCC, guards Wenatchee Valley’s Jaedyn Wilkerson during Wednesday’s game.