VALLEY CITY, ND (NewsDakota.com) Hailey Roberts challenged a scoring record for the Viking women, while the Viking men fought off five Waldorf Warriors in double figures, leading to a Vikings sweep, 87-56 in womens play, and 86-77 in mens play.
Roberts scored 34, missing equaling the scoring record by four points, leading the Viking women. Cleveland Bedgood scored 26 and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Vikings in both categrories.
The Viking women took control early, and never relinquished the tempo, leading by 13 at the break and 25 after three quarters, as pressure on the defensive end and a transition game took a toll on Waldorf, who travelled with only nine healthy players and played in Dickinson the night previous.
Roberts had scored 23 at the break, hit four three-point shots and knocked down her first eight foul shots, leaving early in the fourth due to a hand injury. Elyse Hebrink scored 11 off the bench for the Vikings, a nice boost from the perimeter.
Adriana Torres also added 11, and got a standing ovation from the Viking crowd as she entered and exited at the end of the fourth. Torres, an all-conference performer for the Vikings, is the lone senior on the VCSU roster.
The Viking women looked to have clinched a home game in the NSAA tournament with Mayville State hanging on to beat Bellevue, leaving Bellevue three games back in fifth place with only two remaining.
Waldorf took a 27-22 lead in the first half of mens play, and had an opportunity to take a three-possession lead. It appeared the Vikings could be in some trouble.
The response was impressive.
Switching to a 2-3 zone, the Vikings found a way to force turnovers, something their team is built to take advantage of. Bedgood hit two threes, Cayden Rickard knocked down a three, and VCSU roared out to a 17-2 run, taking a 39-29 lead. They would lead 44-36 at the break.
Ladarious Stanfield found a burst in the second half, including a dunk on a baseline cut, scoring eight quick second-half points. A take by Lamar Grayson would push the lead to 14 at 67-53.
Waldorf would cut the Viking lead to six, and again the Vikings responded. A three by Odier Olange and a pair of foul shots by Stanfield rebuilt the lead to 76-65.
The lead would slip to nine late, but a momentum three by Caden Grinde from the left corner sent it to 12 at 79-67 with two minutes left.
Waldorf would cut the lead to 79-70, then swipe an inbounds pass, with Khyle Washington drawing a foul on a layin, hitting the three-point play that cut the lead to 79-73 with 1:14 left.
The Vikings would miss the front end of the penalty after being fouled for possession, and Waldorf inched to within four at 81-77 in the final minute. Rickard and Olange would stop the effort with key foul shots to ice the game.
The Vikings play at Dakota State on Friday night.