Split decision: Viking men win, women fall
Big Bend women succumb to turnovers, men with big win behind 3-point barrage
YAKIMA - There was a lot at stake for the Big Bend Community College basketball teams on Wednesday night.
Win, and the Viking men and women kept themselves at .500 in East Division play. Lose, and an 0-2 start would be the reality.
The seventh-ranked Viking men responded to the challenge, burying 17 shots from 3-point range en route to a 96-89 triumph over the second-ranked Yakima Valley Yaks. But the seventh-ranked women were overwhelmed from the start, trailing by as many as 30 points before falling 87-71.
Head coach Mark Poth's Runnin' Vikes found themselves down at halftime, 38-37, a deficit that reached 11 with less than 15 minutes remaining. But Big Bend's outside shooting, as it has for most of the season, turned the tide down the stretch.
Sophomore point guard James York, who led all scorers with 27 points, was part of a key 10-0 run in the final minutes. York was 5 for 10 on 3-pointers, adding four assists and four steals before fouling out late.
Leading scorer Daley Landon bounced back from a poor game last Saturday against Spokane, scoring 25 points on 6 of 10 shooting from long range. Landon also had four assists and played all but one minute.
Sophomore forward Brett Vriesman and freshman guard Will Winn also contributed heavily. Vriesman hit 7 of 10 field goal tries for 17 points, while Winn tossed in 16 points, five steals and three assists.
Tabid Mohamed led the Yaks with 21 points, including four 3-pointers. Ben Wilson scored 17, with Anthony Johnson and Jody Johnson chipping in 15 apiece.
Big Bend's huge edge from the 3-point line helped it offset Yakima's 46-35 edge in rebounding, and a 20-20 stalemate in the turnover department.
In Wednesday's first game, Yakima's pressure defense was a constant nuisance to the Lady Vikings, who found themselves down 41-11 after 12 minutes and 53-26 at halftime. Big Bend committed 26 turnovers, a turning point considering Yakima had 27 turnovers and 13 fewer rebounds.
Dana Bates led the Lady Vikings with 17 points, hitting 7 of 8 free throws. Kaitie Poston added 13 points on 5 of 8 from the field, but Big Bend's offense was largely stifled. Leading scorer Kim Bluff managed just six shot attempts and finished with five points.
Meanwhile, Yakima got big performances from Kylie Shaw (19 points), Andrea Blodgett (18 points) and Brittany Weaver (18 points). The third-ranked Yaks have won 27 straight contests at home.
The Lady Vikings (10-5 overall, 0-2 East) open Saturday's home doubleheader with Wenatchee Valley at 6 p.m. Big Bend's men (12-3, 1-1) follow at 8 p.m.