The action was fast and furious during the halftime of the girls’ varsity game against Denfeld as the k-3rd grade basketball players took the court. The youngsters sat behind the varsity team bench during the game and made sure to shake hands with all of the Denfeld players after the varsity game. The kids showed great sportsmanship and displayed some wonderful basketball moves during their time on the floor.
How important are free throws?
Very.
With 21 seconds left on the game clock, the Vikings up by three points over the visiting Denfeld Hunters, Abbie Crawford stood at the free throw line and calmly sank both free throws.
In a wild exchange over the last 21 seconds the ball would change hands. It ended up in the grasp of the Hunters’ Elizabeth Emmel who shot the ball from near half court as the buzzer sounded, smacking hard off of the backboard and falling through the net.
Game over.
The Vikings walked out of the gym with a well-deserved 52-50 Valentine night win. Had Crawford missed her free throws, the game would have gone into overtime.
It was nip-and-tuck all night long between the two teams on parent’s night. And with a halftime game of K- to third-grade girls played during the intermission it was just a great night to be watching basketball on a blustery, snowy, cold winter night.
Paisley Smith scored 10 of her 12 points early, Abbie Crawford scored most her 12 points late and Alyssa Spry hit key baskets all night long to score a team high 17 points. Junior forward Emma Gesch played tough defense, grabbed some big rebounds and ended her night with 4 points.
With 1:23 to play Ariana Poyirier intercepted a pass and drove for two points to put the Vikings up 50-47. A little over a minute later, after the Vikings played keep away, the Hunters were forced to foul and Crawford made her two free throws.
Meanwhile sophomore guard Ariana Poyirier and former Viking senior guard Zoe Nonnemacher battled all night in a great match-up of two very talented guards.
The Hunters were up 26-24 at the half. They were led by Elizabeth Emmel, a tall forward who topped all scorers with 21 points, and the former Viking, speedy Zoe Nonnemacher, who was a pest all night on defense, scored 11 points to be the only other Denfeld player to score in double figures.
Freshman reserve Rhonnie Poyirier was the only other Viking to score, making one point.
Alyssa Spry and Abbie Crawford each had one 3-point basket in the game. The team was 8 of 12 from the free throw line.
Nonnemacher and Emmell each made three 3-point baskets as the taller Hunters decided to live— or die—by the three-point shot. The Hunters were 7-12 from the free throw line.
At the end of the day the Vikings had 19 two-point baskets and the taller Hunters 12 two-point baskets. And the Vikings had a two-point win, a valentine to their parents and fans.
Vikings upend Fond du Lac
It was a great night of basketball in Grand Portage last Friday night as both the boys and girls played games against Fond du Lac.
The gym at the Grand Portage community center was packed as the girls took the floor first.
CCHS took an early lead and was comfortably up by 11 points when Fond du Lac made a 12-point run to take a 32-31 lead. Instead of falling apart, the team came together and went on an 8-point run of their own to go up 39-32. The game would stay close, with the Vikings winning 46-42.
Abbie Crawford had a big night scoring for the Vikings. Abbie made three 3-point baskets and five two-pointers to end up with 19 points. Most of Abbie’s two-point baskets came on rebounds she put back in.
Ariana Poyirier attacked the basket, often driving and dribbling through traffic and ended her night with 15 points. Paisley Smith finished with 5 points, Morgan Starkey 3, Emma Gesch 2, and Alyssa Spry 2.
Aliah Reynolds, 14 points and Tannia Mishadance, 12 points, led Fond du Lac. And give Fond du Lac plenty of credit because they only had three substitutes on their bench.
Girls fall to Floodwood
With less than 24 hours rest, the CCHS Vikings took the court to play the Floodwood Polar Bear at home in an afternoon make-up game.
Abbie Crawford was the only Viking to score in double figures with 13 points. Ariana Poyirier had 8, Paisley Smith 7, and Morgan Starkey had 2 points in the game.
Alexis Stokke had 15 points and Kennedi Johnson 14 points to lead Floodwood past the Vikings in a 48-35 win for the Polar Bears.
The Vikings are now 8-13 on the year and despite the loss to the Polar Bears— which was the team’s third game in three days—the girls are playing their best basketball at the end of the season.
The girls play one more game against Nashwauk Keewatin before playoffs start.
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