PASCO — The Big Bend Community College Lady Vikings (27-4) were defeated by the Clackamas Cougars 74-55 in the elite eight round of the Northwest Athletic Conference tournament Saturday.  

“A lot of people were really getting into the game, seeing us compete, and being right there, just within a couple baskets the whole game, and then in the fourth quarter, they got hot and they started making some shots,” Head Coach Preston Wilks said.  

The Vikings matched the Cougars' intensity from the tip-off, keeping the game within a few points the entirety of the first half. At halftime, Big Bend trailed 33-28. In the third, BBCC tried to keep up the intensity, but Clackamas strung together a series of scores to widen the lead. From there, they dug their heels in and held BBCC to 10 points in the fourth quarter to secure the win and advance to the final four of the NWAC tournament.  

“They're a really long team,” Wilks said. “They disrupted a lot of things that we like to do. We had a hard time knocking shots down, and that's a credit to them. It's a credit to their length, to their defense, their tall, long guards. That really makes a big difference, to have that length, to be able to get out and contest our shots, and that was the big difference for us.” 

The Vikings started strong behind a three-pointer by Kaliyah Evans and a jump shot by Oakley Homer to give them a 2-5 lead in the first quarter. Though the Cougars responded with a three of their own to tie the game. From there, CCC briefly took the lead before back-to-back threes by Evans, giving them a 9-11 lead. The Cougars rounded off a series of scores to take a 17-13 lead over the Vikings at the end of the first.  

The Cougars were running an aggressive transition defense that saw them try to trap the Vikings ball handler as they brought the ball up the court. Big Bend responded by utilizing effective passing to get across halfcourt and remain competitive with Clackamas. By halftime, the Lady Vikings only trailed by five points.  

In the third quarter, the Vikings remained competitive throughout most of the quarter. Flanking Evans six points in that quarter were Claire Cox, Saydee Pebley, Oaklie Jackman, Ashlynn Purcell and Emily Dana. However, despite their efforts, the Cougars found a second gear to outscore BBCC 23-17 heading into the fourth.  

From there, the game unraveled as the Cougars dialed in their defense and held BBCC to 10 points. The Lady Vikings showed a consistent effort to the final buzzer but it was not enough as Clackamas secured the win to advance.  

Evans finished the game with 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Cox and Jackman each earned 10 points, and Dana scored nine, going three of four from the three-point line   

Despite falling short in the NWAC tournament, Wilks and the Lady Vikings end their season with plenty they are proud of, including an Eastern Region Championship in the NWAC. Wilks called this team one of the best he has coached during his tenure.  

“At the end of the day, we did something really special this year,” Wilks said. “We never really did take a night off. That's the one thing you can really say about this team is they never took a night off; they never got upset (by a team). They were always pushing and striving for the very best. No one will ever say anything different, other than these guys were champs.”  

Another bittersweet element to the loss is that the Vikings sophomores have played their final games at BBCC. Wilks noted they will leave an impressive legacy at Big Bend as this chapter closes for them.  

“Last year we had 23 wins. This year they had 27 wins. That's 50 wins over two seasons. We've had some teams go back-to-back Final Fours, but these sophomores had the greatest two season win total of any of my 19 seasons, 50 wins in two seasons,” Wilks said. 

BOX SCORE: 

BBCC: 13-15-17-10: 55
CCC: 17-16-23-18: 74

    The Vikings’ Ashlynn Purcell (4) steps up to guard the ball handler for Clackamas.
  

    Oakley Homer (12) drives into the paint for a layup against Clackamas Saturday. Head Coach Preston Wilks said this year's team is one of the best he has coached in his tenure.
  

    Mallory Henrie (32) drives past her opponent during the Vikings’ second round game against Clackamas Saturday.