Tensions Flare In Bigfork

Loyola Sacred Heart made a trip to Bigfork Friday night for a non conference make up game that was originally scheduled in early January and Bigfork sent Loyola home with a pair of losses.

Girls Box Score   

The first game was between the ladies and Bigfork came out wanting to make a statement starting all seniors from the jump. Bigfork jumped out to an early lead with the help of their press defense and the Breakers struggled to get free. In the second quarter Breaker Senior Tessa Burke had enough and put her team on her back and dropped eight points in the paint to push Loyola to score 16 points.

Coach Grende of Valkeries cinched down the defense in the third quarter and kept the Breakers off the scoreboard until 1:47 left when Kylie Esh knocked down a three pointer, the only score of the period for Loyola. Bigforks Rakiah Grende took over the game for the Vals with points in the paint off the bench in the second half, and Abby Lembke controlled the tempo for Bigfork to help them cruse to a victory.

The Breakers will take the week off to prepare for Divisional next week in Ronan where they will hold down the second place spot in the 6B District and face Troy.

Boys Box Score   

Game two of the night would be the feature of the week as the top two teams in their respected Districts fought for a win in a non conference game leading into Divisional in Ronan. Things started out cool tempered but as the night wore on tensions would rise and both teams would need to have a time out to cool things down.

Things built through the first two quarters as the Vikings played a tenacious defense that kept Loyola in check, with the Vikings leading 24-19 at the half. In the opening minutes of the third quarter Bigfork broke out their offense and put up five points in three seconds with Colton Reichenbach dropping a three, and then Luke Schmit stole on the inbound pass and a put the ball back up on a finger roll.

Late in the fourth quarter tempers finally flared when Joey McElroy of the Rams forced a jump situation when he locked up on the floor, which resulted in Clayton Reichenbach and David Koppang knotting up in defense of their teammates. Koppang and Reichenbach were each were slapped with a technical. Moments later McElroy would go hard on a block that officials saw as an intentional foul and McElroy found himself on the bench with a big T, and the Vikings rode off with the win.

The Rams will take the next week to settle themselves down and prepare for the Divisional in Ronan Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.