Vikings struggle to rebound from slow first half

Pat Gareau

Editor-in-Chief

Women’s Basketball scored just 10 points in the first half and never recovered, in their 62-43 loss to #5 ranked Mohawk Valley on Saturday.

“I think we just have to put two halves together. That’s something we’ve been talking about for a while,” said head coach Kathleen Russell.

It could have been worse, but a shot made from just inside half court by a Hawks player was waved off because it was released just after the halftime buzzer.

The second half was more competitive, with Hudson Valley got their offense going and were only outscored by two points.

“I think we played hard. We never gave up. The fact that we only lost to them by two in the second half says a lot. They could’ve folded. They always give 100 percent and that’s all I could ask for,” said Russell.

My’Asia Alston led the Vikings with 13 points and added 8 rebounds and 5 assists. She had scored at least twenty points in the previous eight games, and in 17 out of 22 games this season.

Sierra Sangetti-Daniels and Sarah Janson were right behind Alston in the Vikings scoring with 12 and 11 points respectively.

The Hawks were led by strong inside play, with three players grabbing at least ten rebounds. They also benefitted from a balanced offensive attack with six players scoring at least 7 points.

Mohawk Valley improved their record to 23-3 with the win on Hudson Valley’s home court.

The Vikings face another challenge on the road on Wednesday against the 16-7 Fulton-Montgomery Raiders. The Vikings lost 72-45 at home to the Raiders on Jan. 17. The Raiders are led by Monee Abrams, who averages 16.6 points and 12.9 rebounds per game.

They finish the season at home against Delhi, a 12-14 team that beat Hudson Valley by two points earlier in the season. The Vikings will seek revenge at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Following their final regular season game, the team will start preparing for the regional tournament, which starts on Feb. 27.