Indians and Vikings collect first win for semi-final spots

CALEDONIA — The Valley Tournament took on a different look on Tuesday from its Monday night beginning. It was the boys’ turn to play their first-round games. The No. 1, 2, and 3 seeds did as well as was expected, but in the No. 4 and No. 5 match a minor upset was brewing.

The Bismarck Indians had their hands full with the Warhawks of Bourbon in the first half of play, but a half-time break brought out a different look and h Indians went on for  54-46 win. The host team, Valley Vikings, played the nightcap, finally defeating Kingston in a hard-fought battle with a  71-58 score.

Bismarck 54, Bourbon 46

The Bismarck Indians took advantage of their half-time strategy time to put a box and one into effect for the second half so that they could put Bourbon’s Evin Farris on ice, and the strategy worked.

Farris scored eight points in the first half, but being guarded extensively by Matt Franklin and Alex Politte, he was held to only five free-throws which came late in the fourth quarter. Farris’ 13 points led all of Bourbon’s scoring.

The Warhawks did not perform the same strategy. Jeff Jarvis, who had scored 12 points in the first half, was let go, and the junior player went straight to the hoop for a total of 21 points to lead all scorers.

It was nip-and-tuck, until the Indians had opened up a six-point lead midway through the second quarter. The lead would continue to grow until the fourth quarter when the Indians reached a pinnacle of 14 points.

Ben Mosier sank a three for Bismarck and Trevor Wild scored seven of his 13 points in the final nine minutes of play.

Both teams were even in their shooting percentage and free-throws, but turnovers were a different matter. Bourbon turned the ball over 16 times to only 11 by the Bismarck.

Bismarck will play in the semi-finals on Friday against the No. 1 seed Steelville Cardinals.

Bismarck  7  16 12 19 – 54

Bourbon  8  10  11  17 – 46

Scoring:

Bismarck – Jarvis 21, Wild 13, Mills 8, Mosier 5, Wakefield 3, Politte 3, Franklin 1.

3-ptrs.- Mills 2, Jarvis, Mosier.

Bourbon – Farris 13, Beckett 10, Graddy 9, Froning 7, Anderson 4, Mett 2, Vinson 1.

3-ptrs. – Beckett 2, Graddy.

Valley 71, Kingston 58

The Valley Vikings led most all the way in their opening round game with the Kingston Cougars, but at the end of the third quarter the Cougars caught up with the Vikings, and for a while it looked to be anybody’s game.

 Zach Holmes sank two free throws in the early going of the fourth quarter to give Kingston a one-point lead, their first since early in the first quarter.

Valley went back to their trapping defense which had worked very well in the early part of the game. It worked again, as Kingston ended up coughing up the ball. The Cougars committed 28 turnovers to Valley’s 15.

David Parks hit a three in the corner for Valley after a time-out to bolster their lead to eight points, and the Vikings coasted all the way in for the win. 

 Both teams were willing to run the floor, and three-pointers by Frankie Guenther aided the Cougars to an early lead. The Cougars were stymied by Valley’s trapping defense, but turnovers by the Vikings helped keep the Cougars in the game.

With 48 seconds on the clock, Matt McCoy tied up the game with a pair of free throws, but Valley bounced back for the next five points to end the half.

A five-second infraction to inbound the ball to start the second half was called on Valley and Kingston inbounded the ball instead, that set up Guenther for his fourth three-pointer in the game. Guenther finished with 14 points.

Both teams worked the ball inside with Valley doing it on the drive and Kingston passing it instead.  Logan Midgett and Stanley Stricklin drove the lane to a tune of 23 and 19 points to lead all scorers.

Kingston’s Zach Holmes pulled off a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Dusty Bay also played at post and was credited with 14 points.

Valley will play next in Friday’s semi-finals against Viburnum, Kingston faces Marquand in tonight’s action.

Kingston  17  17 16  8 – 58

Valley  19  20  12  20 – 71

Scoring:

Kingston – Holmes 19, Guenther 14, Bay 12, Politte 4, Nunez 3, Eckhoff 2, Ross 2, McCoy 2. 

3 ptrs. – Guenther 4, Nunez.

Valley – Midgett 23, Stricklin 19, Neier 10, Nash 9, Parks 8, Hawlweg 2.

3-ptrs. – Midgett, Parks.