Cook County boys kept the game close for a half, but a bigger, older Moose Lake/ Willow River team finally wore down the young Vikings and won 62-42.
The game was held Friday, Feb. 17 in Moose Lake.
“We played well in the first half until we gave up two transition three-pointers to end the half,” said head coach Mitch Dorr.
The Vikings went into the locker room down 7, trailing 26-19. The Rebels pushed their advantage in the second half, extending their lead throughout the game.
“I thought Will Ramberg played well for us and gave us some energy,” Dorr said of his sophomore forward who for the second game in a row led all Viking scorers with 18 points.
Senior Sam O’Phelan finished with 13 points; freshman guard Jordan Porter scored 6, Sophomore Trusen Gordon had 3 points, and sophomore Dyami Blackwell ended his night with 2 points.
“We are going through a few growing pains here at the end of the season on what it means to be a varsity basketball player,” Dorr said. “I think most people watch games on television and see dunks and three-pointers and think that is what basketball is about. In reality, basketball is about setting good screens, boxing out, making the extra pass, working hard in school, and being a good teammate.”
The Vikings’ last game of the season is on Feb. 24 when they travel to play Nashwauk Keewatin. Section 7A playoffs start soon after, and the Vikings will have to travel to play their first game.
The Vikings are 0-16 in the conference, and 2-19 overall, with a half dozen games lost that went down to the last minute or two of the contests. With many freshmen and sophomores getting varsity playing time this year, the Vikings should be much improved by next season.
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