Posen rallies to top Atlanta
It took a while for the Posen (13-3) express to get rolling, but once the train got on the tracks, things worked out for the host Vikings. A rocky start slowed progress, but the Vikings were able to get things together in a 69-56 win over the Atlanta Huskies Tuesday. Posen scored the game?s first basket, a short-range jumper from Brandon Hentkowski from the left baseline, and then the Vikings fell behind. Atlanta went on an 11-2 run over the next seven minutes before Jordan Hincka muscled in a shot inside off an inbounds play set up by coach Steve Hentkowski. The visitors led 13-8 at the end of the first quarter. Gradually, the Posen defense started to cause some turnovers and the players started to connect on the offensive end.
HINCKA HIT two free throws and then nailed a put-back shot to cut the lead to one with 6:10 left in the half. Then Atlanta went on a 7-2 run before a Viking run would gain them the lead. The spurt started with Matt Styma hitting a short shot after taking a pass from center Nick LaTulip. Styma followed that with a jumper from just inside the free throw line to make it 21-18, Atlanta. He tied the score with a basket and a free throw at the 2:51 mark and LaTulip untied it 30 seconds later, off a feed from Hincka inside.
From that point, the Vikings steadily increased the lead, moving to 29-23 at the end of the half, and 48-40 after three quarters of play. Jason McLeod?s bucket and free throw increased the lead to 62-46 before an 8-0 Huskie run trimmed the margin. The final results pleased coach Hentkowski.
?We came out a little flat, but once we got our rotation right, Atlanta had a tough time stopping us,? He said. The Vikings went to a trapping defense and it paid off with some steals to set up easy baskets. ?Our intensity was down a little bit, but I had to remind them that this was a North Star League game,? Hentkowski said. Hincka?s 16 points and seven rebounds led the team in both categories. LaTulip added 13 points and seven rebounds while Styma scored 13. Every player sc
THE WIN over Atlanta might help erase the sting of a 70-58 loss to Fairview. The score was tied 10-10 after the first quarter and the Vikings led 29-27 at halftime. Hincka scored 17 points while LaTulip added 16. Each team spend a lot of time at the free throw line as the Vikings connected on 18-of-24 while the Eagles hit on 16-of-25. THE JV Vikings, coached by Gary Bisson, evened its record at 8-8 with a win over Atlanta, 54-46. After leading 40-31 at the end of the third quarter, the Vikings saw their lead cut to two, before they rallied to hold off the Huskies.
Justin LaPointe had 17 points and Aaron Romel added 14 in the win. Friday, the JV notched a 58-38 win over Fairview as Tyler Krajniak scored 16 points. Romel scored 10 points and added 17 rebounds. The road ahead doesn?t get any easier for the Vikings as they play at Hale Friday, at Mio Tuesday then play top-rated Cedarville February 23.