Lady Vikings upset in first round of NWAC to Puget Sound
Big Bend Community College’s Riley Layton leaps for the rebound during the Lady Vikings’ competition against South Puget Sound.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/BIG BEND COMMUNITY COLLEGE/MATT KILLEBREW
The Vikings’ Oaklie Jackman pushes past the defense at NWAC athletic conference tournament earlier this week. Jackman plays both the guard and forward positions for BBCC.
Viking forward Kaliyah Evans drives toward the net during the Big Bend match against South Puget Sound.
BBCC Head Coach Preston Wilks huddles with his team at the NWAC tournament earlier this week. The Vikings had a solid season this year and are hoping to improve on it next year.
PASCO — The Lady Vikings were hoping to avenge an early-season loss to South Puget Sound in the opening round of the Northwest Athletic Conference Basketball Championship on Wednesday, but a tough night shooting for Big Bend allowed (23.5% from the field) the Clippers to hold on for a 57-45 victory.
The win marked a historic achievement for the West Region’s No. 3 seed, securing their first tournament victory since 2008 and delivering the tournament's first upset.
"Today was a game we felt so good about going into it. We had a rematch against a team that had beat us earlier in the year, which we wanted,” said BBCC Head Coach Preston Wilks. “This game was eerily similar to our final home game of the year against Walla Walla, in that we just could not buy a bucket. We tried and tried, but for some reason, today was not our day for making 3s. Our defense was great, holding them to under 60 points. But our shooting struggles ultimately sunk our dreams today.”
Big Bend trailed 11-6 after the first quarter. The Clippers capitalized on points in the paint, with eight of their 11 points coming from inside, while the Vikings only hit 2 of their first 21 shots.
In the second quarter, South Puget Sound extended its lead, outscoring Big Bend 23-14 and building its largest lead of the game at 17 points. The Clippers shot 9-for-19 from the field, including 4-for-6 from three-point range, and secured 13 rebounds while committing only one turnover. Vy Tran played a key role in the second quarter, contributing two three-pointers, four assists, and five rebounds to help maintain control of the game.
Big Bend outscored South Puget Sound in the second half, but down the stretch, the Vikings went ice cold missing all 14 of their 3-point attempts in the final quarter.
“I was proud that we ended the season trying our best and that is what this team did every day all season long. They were such a joy to coach,” Wilks said. “They all cared so much about their daily effort and they had great perspective in that they truly tried to get better each day. This team had one of the best seasons in the Lady Vikes history.”
Oaklie Jackman led Big Bend posting a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Riley Layton added 9 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots, while Amaya Rogers contributed 8 points. Despite being one of the top three-point shooting teams in the NWAC during the regular season, the Vikings struggled from long range, shooting just 3-for-42 from beyond the arc (7.1%).
The Lady Vikings ended the season with 23 wins, and Jackman was named the East Region Freshman of the Year and named to the First Team East Region along with Katie Hansen.
The Vikings’ Oaklie Jackman pushes past the defense at NWAC athletic conference tournament earlier this week. Jackman plays both the guard and forward positions for BBCC.
Viking forward Kaliyah Evans drives toward the net during the Big Bend match against South Puget Sound.
BBCC Head Coach Preston Wilks huddles with his team at the NWAC tournament earlier this week. The Vikings had a solid season this year and are hoping to improve on it next year.