Another close encounter for Vikes
Eureka outscores Bigfork 21-11 in the fourth quarter
The Daily Inter Lake
BIGFORK - The Vikings smelled the upset, but tasted yet another upsetting defeat as the Eureka high school boys basketball team out-slugged Bigfork on Saturday night, 55-45.
The victory keeps Eureka atop the Northwestern A conference with a 6-1 record and 10-1 overall mark. Bigfork (0-12, 0-8) continues to search for its first win in a season full of heartbreaking losses.
The Vikings led 23-21 at halftime, and the teams were tied at 34-all after three quarters, but the Lions pulled away with a 21-11 fourth quarter.
Eureka's imposing trio of 6-foot-8 junior center John Davis, 6-foot-6 senior forward Spencer Sartori and 6-foot-4 senior forward Isiah Linnell led the way, combining for 36 points and 24 rebounds. Linnell notched a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Sartori added 13 points and six rebounds while Davis tallied 10 points and seven rebounds, despite playing limited minutes due to foul trouble.
"(Davis, Sartori and Linnell) did a really good job, especially in the second half and parts of the first half," said Eureka coach Eric Stang. "When we kept the game close in the first half, they did a real good job. We lost our aggressiveness on the rebounding a little bit, but we got it back, and we did a good job on the boards in the second half."
There were plenty of fouls to go around as the teams combined for 50, including four technicals. Bigfork sunk 15 of its 22 free-throw attempts, but Eureka struggled at the foul line, making just 52.3 percent of its foul shots (23-for-44).
The Lions' free-throw shooting woes helped the Vikings lead or stay close the entire game, despite making just nine field goals.
"It's been a problem for us all year," Stang said. "We've had close games that shouldn't have been close games if we would have stepped up and made free throws."
Sophomore Brock Boll came off the bench to lead Bigfork with a career-high 12 points.
"He's capable of scoring a lot more than he has been, and it's nice to see him get some points," said Bigfork coach Jim Epperly. "He's a kid that we feel could be a steady scorer for us, so for him to get 12, that's nice for his confidence."
The Vikings had plenty to feel confident about. Junior guard Roland Benedict scored 11 points, including two 3-pointers, and 6-foot-4 senior post Kainoa Lake blocked four shots and grabbed six boards before fouling out.
Despite an overwhelming height disadvantage, Bigfork hung with Eureka on the boards, snaring 28 rebounds compared to 32 for the Lions. But Eureka's rebounds proved devastating to the Vikings.
"They had 18 offensive rebounds, which was key in the game, to our 11," Epperly said. "They got a lot of stick-backs on missed free throws - on their missed free throws. So when they did miss it, a lot of times they got the board and stuck it back in. They're a big team, we've just got to do a better job of getting a body on people and blocking out."
Stang said the Lions, who like to play an up-tempo game, lost some of their aggressiveness due to their three first-half technical fouls.
"When things like that happen in the first half, you're going to lose your mental focus, and then you're going to adapt to your environment a little bit," Stang said.
But, according to Stang, Bigfork's defense did plenty to pester Eureka's up-tempo attack.
"They did a good job of mixing it up, and they came out and they played intense," Stang said. "It's a home game for them, and they haven't won yet … and they're going down swinging."
Epperly said the Vikings played their best game of the season Friday, falling 50-47 at Libby, and looked a step slow and a bit drained Saturday.
"Other teams play back-to-back, and we just have to do a better job of handling that situation," Epperly said. "I thought, early in the game, we had an opportunity to really put them in a hole, and we didn't do it. That could be part of the fact that we are 0-12 - we don't recognize those things."
Bigfork took a 20-14 lead with 2 minutes, 55 seconds left in the first half when junior Levi Dockstader made two free throws, but Eureka used a 10-3 run to take the lead early in the third quarter. Dockstader finished with nine points.
"We can be a scary team," Epperly said. "I mean, there's not anybody we can't play with. And you better not sleep on the Vikes. I think we're a team that's capable of beating anybody, and we just need to finish a few things off."
Though the loss was disheartening, Epperly said battling toe-to-toe with a well-coached, first-place team such as Eureka is a confidence boost for his athletes.
"I don't think anybody's going to want to (face) us in the tournament," Epperly said. "We've played everybody pretty tough. It's not a gimmie game for us right now. Like I said, if we can just get a couple wins before the tournament and get some momentum going in there, I think we can make some things happen."
Eureka 9 12 13 21 - 55
Bigfork 7 16 11 11 - 45
EUREKA (10-1, 6-1) - Clete DeShazer 2 4-10 8, Zach Richter 0 2-6 2, Mattie Longfield 0 3-4 3, Tony Boka 2 0-0 4, Devon Miller 0 2-2 2, John Davis 4 2-4 10, Spencer Sartori 4 5-11 13, Isiah Linnell 4 5-7 13. Totals 16 23-44 55.
BIGFORK (0-12, 0-8) - John White 0 2-4 2, Kainoa Lake 1 0-0 2, Roland Benedict 3 3-4 11, Justin Goode 0 2-2 2, Andrew Whittaker 2 2-2 6, Levi Dockstader 2 4-4 9, Brock Boll 5 1-4 12, Garrett Pewe 0 1-2 1. Totals 9 15-22 45.
3-point goals - Eureka 0, Bigfork 4 (Benedict 2, Dockstader 1, Boll 1). Rebounds - Eureka 32, Bigfork 28. Assists - Eureka 5, Bigfork 12. Steals - Eureka 12, Bigfork 12. Blocks - Eureka 3, Bigfork 4. Turnovers - Eureka 17, Bigfork 23. Total fouls - Eureka 20, Bigfork 30. Fouled out - Eureka 0, Bigfork 2 (Lake, Benedict).