VALLEY CITY, ND (NewsDakota.com) The Vikings responded to adversity well in Waldorf Saturday.
After the Vikings were beaten in overtime in womens play 84-80, and the men were topped 87-86 by the V-Hawks Friday, a hot start for the women and a come-from-behind effort for the men led to a 73-55 womens win, followed by a dramatic 76-74 mens win Saturday in Forest City, IA.
Ashlyn Diemert again paced the Viking women, scoring 28 points, wrapping up a 51-point weekend after a 23-point performance at Viterbo Friday. Cleveland Bedgood, after draining 46 at Viterbo Friday, struggled in the first half, but hit the game-winner with for his 19th point with 1.9 seconds remaining Saturday.
The Viking women took control early, with a 25-point opening quarter, a quarter that saw Richter score seven, Diemert six. Adding to the success was Waldorf foul trouble, with point guard Fatou Barry picking up her second foul just five minutes into the game.
With the Waldorf offense in trouble, the Vikings poured it on. Richter finished the first half with 14 points, with Diemert adding 11. Waldorf shot just 31.8% from the field in the first half, allowing the Vikings to stretch the lead to 47-30 at the break.
Waldorf would cut the the lead to 11, and have a possession to slice further, but a flurry to finish the frame rebuilt the edge. Diemert ran out to a 12-point quarter, finishing the quarter with 23. The Vikings led 61-43 after three.
Diemert would finish with 28, including 10-11 from the foul line after a nigh when the Vikings shot 13-25 from the stripe in an overtime loss to Viterbo. Richter landed with 14, and Elyse Hebrink added nine rebounds to lead the Vikings off the glass.
In mens play, the first-half difference was the three-point shot. Waldorf had it, the Vikings did not.
Valley City State shot 17% from the three-point line, hitting just one from beyond in the opening half. Waldorf was 42% from distance, knocking down eight, while shooting just 38% from the field overall. A 14-2 Warrior run pushed the lead to it’s biggest first half margin at 34-26.
The Vikings cut the lead to three on the lone three-point hit in the first half, coming from Bedgood, and a transition basket from Grayson, but would trail by six 41-35 at the break.
Waldorf would use a 14-2 run to take a 10-point edge, but a three by Olange and a running layup by Grayson would spark a 12-2 Viking run, tying the game at 54.
The Warriors would continue to take leads, and the Vikings would continue to answer. Olange with a basket and foul shot, cutting the lead to one. Ladarious Stanfield would then draw contact and finish, delivering the Vikings their first second-half lead at 67-66 with four minutes left.
Bedgood would deliver a lead with under a minute to play. A transition jumper delivered a 74-72 lead. But he would then miss three free-throws a moment later, and a bucket by Ugo Ejiofor would tie the game for Waldorf at 74-74 with 27 seconds left.
Revenge would come a 25 seconds later. Bedgood would drive to the glass for the eventual game winner, a layup contested by three defenders, to regain a Viking advantage with 1.9 seconds left. A late three for Waldorf came up short.
The Viking men improve to 10-10, 2-4 in NSAA play. VCSU is now 9-11 overall, 3-3 in womens play. The Vikings face Dickinson State at the W. E. Osmon Fieldhouse in a doubleheader Wednesday.