Senior Bayley Cox led the Vikings in scoring in the team’s last game of the regular season against the Nashwauk-Keewatin Spartans. Listed as a center, Cox is, according to coach Kelly Senty, “a tough competitor and strong force on the boards.”
It wasn’t the way head coach Kelly Senty would have liked to see her team enter the playoffs, but a narrow loss to Nashwauk Keewatin in the Vikings’ last regular season game of the year taught the Vikings some lessons.
The Vikings fell 37-34.
“We started flat the first half of the game,” said Coach Senty. “Defensively we struggled and were out rebounded,” she added.
“We came back the second half and played much stronger, setting the intensity but struggled to make shots.
“The girls fought hard the second half and didn’t quit.
We talked about letting this game be a learning opportunity as we move forward towards playoffs.”
To the Vikings’ credit, they were playing without their top scorer and best rebounder, Emily Jacobsen, who was held out of the game due to a possible concussion. If the doctors clear her, Jacobsen will most probably be able to play in the Vikings first playoff game, said her father, John Jacobsen.
Bayley Cox led the Vikings in scoring with 10 points. Abbie Crawford scored 9, Sarah Toftey 5, Hannah Toftey 5, and Sophie Eliasen netted 5 points.
Cook County ended its regular season with 13 wins and 10 losses. The Vikings finished in the middle of the Polar League conference, 6th place out of 12 teams.
On Thursday, March 2, the girls played Fond du Lac in Esko after the paper was put to bed. If they won that game, they will play on Saturday at Hibbing Memorial at 1 p.m.
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