VALLEY CITY, ND (NewsDakota.com) JayCee Richter scored 10 points in the fourth quarter against Bellevue to help the Vikings complete a comeback on Saturday afternoon. Viking head womens basketball coach Vanessa Johnson said it earned a start for the Linton, ND native Wednesday.
Richter did not disappoint.
Richter was 13-14 from the field, scored 31 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, as the Vikings battled, but fell to the 13th-ranked Mayville State Comets 95-76.
The big night for Richter was undone by an annual favorite for conference Player of the Year, Comet forward Jordan Zrust. Zrust was 12-19 from the field and 11-13 from the foul line, leading all scorers with 36.
A first-quarter track meet saw the Comets lead the Vikings 30-26 after one, but the Vikings were outscored 27-8 in the second, shooting just 3-13 from the field in the second, in the loss.
Adriana Torres scored 20, with Ashlyn Diemert adding 17, in the loss.
Richter won Ivy Real Estate Group Player of the Game honors.
Men’s play saw a nightmare for the Viking defense, as Mayville State shot 67.6% from the field and 77.8% from the arc. Jamison Kramer and Tom Gieske, the top leading scorers for the Comets, combined 24 points and 12 boards in the first half, and played a smaller amount of minutes than they are accustomed to.
The Vikings, again looking to establish a man-defensive presence, had key breakdowns and the offense struggled, shooting 2-8 for three and 9-19 from the foul line in the opening half. The Vikings trailled 63-39 at the break.
Valley City State could get no closer than 20 in the second half. Mayville State completed a shooting performance that saw them hit 55.4% from the field for game in a road arena, and put four players in double figures. Kramer finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Gieske also scored 21.
Four players scored in double figures for the Viking men, co-led by Odier Olange and Lamar Grayson’s 14. Agwa Nywesh added 13, and Cayden Rickard knocked in 10. Olange was the Ivy Real Estate Group Player of the Game.
The Vikings play at Dickinson State Friday night in a womens and mens double-header, scheduled for 6:30 PM.