Vikings conclude season with a home victory over Yaks

MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Vikings (13-16) ended their season Wednesday night, but not before going out strong with an 88-73 victory over the Yakima Valley Yaks. With the Vikings coming just one game short of making the playoffs prior to this matchup, the goal was to still give all they had. 

“It’s bittersweet, you know we closed out the season four and five, we were one quick possession out of the playoffs,” said Vikings sophomore Miguel Taylor. “But we finished the season strong. We all came together and were able to make big improvements, so I’m happy.” 

The Vikings came out strong in the first half of the competition, taking an early lead over Yakima Valley. By halftime, BBCC was up by eight.  

Big Bend’s momentum carried into the second half as they executed on both sides of the court to slowly extend their lead to over 20 points midway through. The Yaks tried to keep up but ultimately the Vikings dominated the court to win a 15-point victory. 

Vikings freshman Sugar Eaton led the team offensively with 27 points scored on the night and went 3-6 at the three-point line. Freshman Lorenzo Contreras scored 17 points and a matching 3-6 on three-pointers, and Yuval Weizman was right behind with 15 points and seven rebounds. Taylor led the team in rebounding as he secured nine defensive rebounds. 

BBCC Head Coach Jason Hopkins said he was excited about how the Vikings performed down the stretch especially after knowing they would no longer be able to make the postseason. The main focus he and the other coaches instilled into the players leading into Wednesday’s game was to play their hardest. 

“We talked about that we needed to execute and play at a high level to continue building on what we’ve been working on throughout the season and throughout the years to put an exclamation point at the end of the year,” said Hopkins. 

Finishing the season on a win was a huge accomplishment for the team as they all fought to send the sophomores out on a high note. The coach said each of the freshmen with the Vikings care about the three sophomores Taylor, Ori Mizrahi and Dominik Wojna. 

“I think it was really meaningful to them and impactful for both that moment and for the future,” he said.  

Throughout the season, Hopkins said he saw each of the freshman take up major roles in responsibility and grow in their skills with each passing game. 

“Sometimes the guys have to touch the fire to know that it’s hot and I think in a lot of ways they had to learn through the mistakes they were making on the court and get better from that,” said the coach. 

The Vikings were tested throughout the season as they played through a challenging schedule, and Hopkins said each of those matchups made the players battle hardened as they once again improved their record from the previous season. The sophomore players were strong contributors as the leaders of the team and made a name for themselves in their final season at BBCC. 

“To give the type of effort, heart and performance that they did over two years, I think it’s really meaningful,” said the coach. “They got a lot better and that’s attributed to their hard work and there’s a fabric and integrity of a program and all three of them left their mark in a really positive and meaningful way.” 

With the respect that was built for Taylor, Mizrahi and Wojna, Hopkins said he has no doubts that the returning players will continue their legacy into the future of the program. 

He said the success of this season would not have been possible without the support of the assistant coaches Bryce Hendricks and Mike Noftle who dedicated their time to ensuring the success of this team. 

“Gigantic credit to them for all the hard work that they put in, and the result was in large part because of their efforts,” said Hopkins. “I don’t ever want that to be missed in the process.” 

With his time as a Vikings coming to a close, Taylor said he plans to move on to a four-year university where he will fit in and continue his basketball career. Looking back on his career at Big Bend, the sophomore said he enjoyed all the time he got to spend with his whole team.  

“Being able to build that family with my brothers, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I love these guys,” said Taylor. “I know that this program’s going to do big things and Coach Hopkins is really turning this program around. It’s going to be a bright future for Big Bend.”  

BOX SCORE 

YVCC: 40-33: 73 

BBCC: 48-40: 88 

    Sugar Eaton from the Vikings goes in for a layup with his teammate Mahmoud (Mo) Ibrahim standing below the net ready to provide support.
  

    Big Bend’s Yuval Weizman shoots a three-pointer during Wednesday’s victory over Yakima Valley.
  

    BBCC sophomore Ori Mizrahi (3) takes a shot for three points with teammate Sugar Eaton (4) keeping an eye on the ball.
  

    Vikings freshman Lorenzo Contreras goes in for the layup with pressure from two Yakima Valley defenders during Wednesday’s home victory.
  

    Jakari Singleton from the Vikings keeps his eye on the opposing Yaks player as he works to stop the Yakima offensive front.