Vikings continue to stack wins, improve to 17-5

MOSES LAKE – After an 11-4 start to the season, Big Bend women’s basketball head coach Preston Wilks took the time to notice trends in the Vikings’ game on the court.

“We had a feeling of there’s much more that we could do,” Wilks said. “We saw glimpses of really good play in those first 15 games or moments when we knew that we could compete with anybody in the (Northwest Athletic Conference), and yet there were still moments that were holding us back from our potential.” 

Three points of improvement were identified before the Vikings entered their NWAC region games; rebounding, unforced errors and fouling. 

“We saw three areas that we felt like we needed to fix,” Wilks said. “If we wanted to achieve that potential, there were three areas that we’ve been really hammering and working on, and it seems to be paying off a little bit.” 

Since the beginning of region play the Vikings have averaged 37.1 rebounds per game, improving on the 35.2 rebounds per game seen in their final five games of the non-region slate. Their turnovers have also seen a decrease, averaging nearly 18 per game during non-region games to 13.1 during region games. Wilks said the Vikings have also improved on their defense, decreasing opponent’s trips to the free throw line. 

“We were just being lazy and not disciplined on defense, and fouling drivers,” Wilks said. “We’ve really dialed that one back. Some of those games – teams that are averaging 20, 22 free throws a game – we come out and they only had six that night, or one night they only had two. We’ve really tried to be better in that area.” 

Big Bend has won six of its last seven games, improving to 17-5 overall and 6-1 in NWAC games this winter. The lone loss over that stretch was a game on the road against Treasure Valley, where the Chukars scored 32 points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Vikings 86-76. 

While things could have spiraled after a loss like that, Wilks said the team remained calm in the wake of the loss. 

“We just didn’t hit the panic button,” Wilks said. “It was a disappointing loss, it really stung us. We led for about 37 minutes of that game, and then the last three minutes, they just went crazy, and we couldn’t stop them. It really left an impression on us that we had to get back and we had to get better, and we had to take it serious.” 

Following the loss to Treasure Valley, Big Bend has won its last five games; a 66-63 win at Spokane, a 68-64 win over Columbia Basin, a 66-59 win vs Yakima Valley, a 61-32 win at Blue Mountain and, most recently, Saturday’s 53-48 win at Walla Walla. 

Over that stretch, the Vikings have surrendered 53.5 points per game. 

“The short answer is defense – that's what’s allowed us to really stack these wins,” Wilks said.  

Against Walla Walla on Saturday, Big Bend took a 31-15 lead into halftime before the Warriors chipped away throughout the second half; however, the Vikings held on for the five-point win on the road against a team previously undefeated in region games. 

“They’re a great team, they’re ranked No. 4 in the NWAC for a reason,” Wilks said. “We knew they were going to make a run, and we talked about that at halftime, and yet our girls were able to hold them off and when we needed to, we got a big rebound at the end of the game and were able to knock down some free throws and get out of there with a great win.” 

With four sophomores on the roster in 2024-25, a strong freshman class has taken the court for the Vikings this winter. 

While three players – sophomore guard Katie Hansen, freshman guard Oakley Homer and freshman guard/forward Oaklie Jackman – are all averaging double-digit points per game this winter, and two more averaging more than seven points per game, Wilks pointed at another statistic to highlight Big Bend’s depth this season; 10 players are averaging more than 10 minutes per game. 

“Depth is our strength,” Wilks said. “We had our four sophomores come back, and that we were super excited about, and we knew that we were going to be able to build around them as the foundation. “... When you put those two groups – a talented freshman group along with a wonderful sophomore group – I think that’s what’s really helped us. 

Big Bend, Treasure Valley and Walla Walla all sit tied at 6-1 on top of the NWAC East standings. The Vikings play both teams again down the stretch of the regular season. 

“Let’s not focus on a title; let’s focus on getting better every single day and doing what we need to win the next game,” Wilks said of his message to the team down the stretch. “That’s what we're doing right now, taking a one-game approach.” 

Big Bend hits the road Wednesday to play at Wenatchee Valley at 5 p.m. but returns home in a rematch against Treasure Valley on Saturday at 2 p.m. 

“We’d love to have the town come out and support us,” Wilks said. “We’re undefeated at home, and we’d like for them to come out and help us stay undefeated over the last half of region play.” 

    Big Bend guard/forward Oaklie Jackman (25) takes the floor during player introductions. Jackman is one of three Vikings averaging double-digit points per game this winter.
  

    Big Bend Head Coach Preston Wilks, in blue, talks with the team during a game. Wilks said the three key improvements for the Vikings this season has been rebounding, cutting down on unforced errors and reducing opponent’s free throw attempts.