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CITY (NewsDakota.com)–While a team finally won a decisive game in the Jimmie-Viking series, the mens game saw an exact repeat of last week with the opposite answer.
Jamestown College handled the Vikings with a 56-44 win in womens play, and Byron Jones (Sr., Glenarden, MD) hit a half-court miracle off the glass to beat the Vikings at the end of another overtime thriller 80-77 at the W. E. Osmon Fieldhosue Wednesday night in Valley City.
The womens series had seen an overtime game and a two-point regulation win by the Jimmies. The lone mens matchup saw Viking A. J. McDonald (Fr., Killeen, TX) hit a four-foot-beyond-the-arc three to win at the end of overtime.
In women’s play, the Jimmies finally scored a decisive win in the three-game series between the two teams, building a 15-point lead, then watching it slip to as few as two before rallying for the double-digit win.
Valley City State again imposed their defensive presence on the Jimmies, but a disturbing trend continued. They had very few playmakers looking to make plays offensively, looking confused and tentative throughout most of the first half. They scored just nine points through the first 19 minutes of the game, and trailled 24-11 at the break.
The Vikings rallied early in the second half, as Alyssa Hummel (Jr, West Fargo, ND) who had a 19-point night in Jamestown last week, found a groove scoring all nine of her points after the break. The Vikings cut the lead to as few as two halfway through the second half.
But the offensive energy fell apart, and the Jimmies hit big shots to pull away. Leading Jimmie scorer Bridget Schuneman (Jr., Lino Lakes, MN) scored six of her 10 in the second half, and Kaeli Kraska (Fr., New Brighton, MN) and Casey Geffre (So., Hankinson, ND) hit big three-point shots to pull away.
Katie Ralston (Jr., Dahlen, ND) led the Vikings with 11 points. Hannah Steele (So., Circle Pines, MN) added 10 for the Jimmies.
It was an exact replay of a game a week earlier in Jamestown, with the exact opposite result.
Jamestown College rolled to a big lead in the second half, taking a 45-27 edge with 13:30 left to play, only to watch the lead crumble, as the Vikings with a 19-2 run that cut the lead to just one with eight minutes to go. The Vikings would eventually take a four-point edge.
But the Jimmies would reclaim the lead late, taking a 66-64 lead in the final seconds of regulation. The Vikings answered with Sekani Milligan (Jr., Fort Lauderdale, FL), who drove to th basket and was fouled with 0.7 seconds to go. Milligan hit both foul shots and sent the game to overtime tied at 66.
The Jimmies grabbed the lead late in overtime, but the Vikings stayed in the game by scoring and fouling. Aaron Duske (So., Buffalo, MN) hit two foul shots, cutting the lead to 76-75, and the Vikings would foul Drew Preiner (Fr., Oakdale, MN) to send him to the line.
Preiner would miss the front then, then hit the back, taking the lead to 77-75 with 12.5 seconds to go. Milligan would again get the call, driving the basket and hitting with a finger role, tying the game at 77-77 with 2.5 seconds left.
A week ago, it was the Jimmies that hit a three-point shot to send the game to overtime after the Vikings took a 19-point lead with 13 minutes to play. Then, it was a Viking three at the end of overtime to win the game.
Wednesday night, the scenario replayed itself when Jones took the final inbounds pass and banked in a half-court desperation heave that stole the game from the Vikings as time ran out, sending a swarm of Jimmie fans to celebrate, and leaving the Vikings stunned.
The sweep sends the Jimmies to 24-3 in women’s play and 22-5 in men’s play. The Viking women drop to 15-13 and the men fall to 20-7.