Bekah Laky on defense against Ely on Saturday, February 6. The Vikings defeated the Timberwolves, 74-40.
The Cook County girls’ basketball team won backto back games against Two Harbors and Ely to improve its overall season record to 17-2. On Friday, February 5, the Vikings blew open a closely contested first half by outscoring the Two Harbors’ Agates 34-24 in the second half to win, 65-45. The next day, Cook County beat the Timberwolves of Ely, 74-40.
Two Harbors and Cook County have had a long history of closely contested hardfought
battles against one
another. In the early stages
student
of the first half, the Vikings
of
looked to buck that trend by
which
taking an early 17-point lead.
The Vikings, however, didn’t
score a basket in the final six
435.
minutes of the half, as Cook
High
County got in early foul trouble.
Smith
Back-to-back three pointers Grand
by Ashley Deschampe kept
the Vikings on track, but the Agates closed the gap to just
10 points at halftime, 31-21.
The Vikings played a bit
County
sloppy to start the second
Linda
half, as Two Harbors capitalized,
cutting the Cook County
lead to just five, 32-27. Cook more
County’s defense then took
earning
over, clamping down on the average
Agates.
Senior center Essa Jacobsen took over inside, scoring 13 second-half points, as the Vikings broke a close game open by taking a 59-36 lead. Cook County coasted to a 65-45 victory. In a game marred with numerous foul calls, the Agates made just 12 of 26 free throw attempts while the Vikings evened that total by making 12 of 23 attempts.
Jacobsen led all scorers with 21 points. Ashley Deschampe continued her strong play, scoring 16 points. Brea Boomer added nine points to the box score for Cook County.
After a sluggish start to the game Saturday afternoon, the Vikings found themselves without the lead against the surprising Ely Timberwolves. Cook County then picked up the pace of its full court pressure with Brea Boomer leading the way on both ends of the court.
Playing on an ankle sprain, Boomer dominated the first half of play. With numerous steals on defense, Boomer then drove hard to the basket against the Timberwolves. At one point, Boomer scored six straight points as she finished the first half with 25 points, making nine of her 11 shot attempts. She added seven made free throws and the Vikings had a 58-20 halftime lead. Jacobsen added ten firsthalf points as Ely had a tough time with Cook County’s physical presence inside.
Head Coach T.J. Super rested Boomer in the second half, as the pace of play in the final 18 minutes slowed. The Viking bench worked on various lineups in the second half that will prove to be helpful down the stretch as the Vikings approach the playoffs. Cook County finished the game with a 74-40 victory.
Ely’s Mariah McDonald was the game’s leading scorer with an impressive performance, as she scored 33 of her team’s 40 points. In addition to Boomer’s 25, Jacobsen scored 15 points and Christina Nelson added 10 points in the Cook County win. In all, nine different Vikings scored in the game.
The Vikings are now 17-2 on the season. They traveled to Albrook on Tuesday and played this Thursday at home against Duluth Marshall. In their third game in four days, the Vikings traveled to McGregor this Friday. Look in next week’s edition for all the scores and highlights.
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