BBCC Falls to Spokane Falls in Hard-Fought Battle

After a disappointing loss to Treasure Valley Community College, the Big Bend Community College Vikings hit the road to face Spokane Falls Community College on Wednesday. Despite a strong defensive effort, offensive struggles and foul trouble plagued the Vikings as they fell to the Sasquatch 72-63 in a competitive matchup.

The game began with BBCC struggling offensively, as their leading scorer this season, Gideon Harris, was held to just two points on 0-3 shooting in the first half. Harris' only contribution came from the free-throw line. Kaden Larsen stepped up to provide a spark, knocking down three three-pointers in just six minutes to keep the game close.

Despite their shooting woes, the Vikings managed to stay within striking distance, heading into halftime trailing 36-32.

The Vikings' shooting struggles carried over into the second half, as they hit just 33% of their shots from the field and went 4-18 from beyond the arc. Gil Gonzalez emerged as the bright spot for BBCC, scoring 11 of his game-high 19 points in the second half and grabbing 8 rebounds.

However, the game began slipping away as the Vikings found themselves in foul trouble, committing 27 fouls over the course of the contest. This allowed Spokane Falls to capitalize at the free-throw line, where they converted 23 of 30 attempts.

The Sasquatch pulled away late, handing the Vikings a 72-63 defeat. After the game, Head Coach Jason Hopkins reflected on the loss:
"We had another strong defensive effort, and we created a lot of quality looks on offense, but we didn't make enough shots. We did a pretty good job protecting the ball. Gil Gonzalez was really good for us, but we just didn't make enough plays down the stretch to win. Spokane is really well-coached, and they did a good job against us. They will be one of the best teams in the league."

The loss drops BBCC to 0-2 in conference play, but the Vikings will look to bounce back in their next game as they aim to find consistency on offense. With plenty of season left, BBCC will continue to focus on improvement as they seek to climb the East Region standings. BBCC prepares for their next game as they host Columbia Basin College on Saturday January 18th at the Devries Activity Center.