Vikings unable to climb out of halftime hole
Big Bend's Max Shelley looks for her shot against Columbia Basin Wednesday at the DeVries Activity Center.
MOSES LAKE — The second quarter of Big Bend’s game against Columbia Basin was a microcosm of the season as a whole.
Trailing by just one point, the Vikings went ice cold from the field and were outscored 24-5 in the period. One ghastly quarter on an otherwise sound game has doomed Big Bend the entire season and Wednesday was no different.
Big Bend was unable to make up the 19-point halftime deficit and lost to Columbia Basin 71-60.
“We’re kind of used to climbing out of holes,” head coach Preston Wilks said. “It’s becoming familiar territory for us now so I knew the girls would come back. I thought we might get it tonight, but we just fell a little short.”
The Vikings offered resistance in the second half, opening the third quarter on a 12-0 run that was capped by a Mackenzie Windley three-pointer.
Windley, who operated mostly in the post as a freshman, has expanded her range out to the three-point line and made four shots from distance against CBC.
“We had visions of her moving to a wing and letting her get some more three’s up in a game in the season,” Wilks said. “So it began in the offseason and she worked real hard and we knew she was going to be fine.”
After a slow start to the season, Windley is fourth in scoring in the NWAC East and is shooting 35 percent from deep.
Windley scored a game-high 22 points to go along with nine rebounds against the Hawks. However, Windley’s running mate Max Shelley struggled from the three-point line.
Shelley miss all 14 of her attempts from long range and shot just six of 27 for the game.
Shelley ended the night with 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists.
Big Bend got as close as four points, 36-32, after a McKenna Mitchell three-pointer.
Columbia Basin took an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter and prevented a rally in the final quarter with an 8-0 spurt to go up by 15 points.