After losing in double overtime on the road at UW-Oshkosh, the Vikings responded in a big way beating North Central 79-72, which featured four Viking athletes in double figures.
With how competitive the CCIW Conference is, Coach Giovanine expressed the importance of winning these early conference games especially with this game being at home against a very quality opponent.
“We wanted to get off to a great start in conference play. This was our first game after a tough loss to a top 20 team. To be able to go out and get a win now is great for our team’s confidence and our momentum going forward,” Giovanine said.
The Vikings got a huge lift from their bench, which featured senior, A.J Dollmeyer, who scored 10 points.
“To have a senior respond in a big game like that gave our whole team a huge boost. A.J’s success helped us in a lot of ways, especially from an energy and emotional standpoint,” Giovanine said.
Junior, Nolan Ebel, led the Vikings scoring 18 points. This gave the Vikings a decent offense. When asked how they were able to take control down the court, Ebel had lots to say.
“We really started attacking more in the second half to put them away. The second half is what determines the game in games like that, so our depth is what really separates us. It’s a great feeling whenever you can pull out a win like this at home,” Ebel said.
The Vikings have a tough game ahead of them on Saturday when they take on Carthage at Kenosha where they lost in overtime a year ago. The Vikings will be looking to use their depth and their experience to lead the way against a tough conference opponent.