Vikings start year with 2-game skid
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THOMPSON FALLS — 2010 got off to a rough start for the Charlo Vikings. After turning the ball over nearly 30 times in a 63-46 conference loss to Arlee at home Thursday, the Vikings faltered down the stretch in a 54-47 loss to the Bluehawks in Thompson Falls Friday.
Against Arlee Thursday, the Vikings turned the ball over 27 times and only hit on half their free throws as they watched their rivals run away with their second win over them this season.
“We turned the ball over too much. We turned the ball over way too much to beat a good team,” Charlo coach Mike Brown said. “I don’t know if there is a mental block there or what, but we just played carelessly.”
After falling behind 17-5 in the first quarter, the Vikings started pounding the ball inside to their 6-foot-4 big men: Chance Frame and Houston Blevins. Blevins and Frame combined for 15 of the Vikings’ 17 points in the quarter and Charlo only went into the break trailing 29-22.
They could have been a lot closer, but they only made eight of their 15 foul shots in the quarter and finished the game 14-for-28 at the line.
Frame finished the game with 15 points and 15 boards and Blevins pitched in with 11 points and 10 boards.
Frame opened the second half by knocking down a jump shot to cut Arlee’s lead to five, but the Warriors scored the next eight points to take a 37-24 lead. Once behind, the Vikings stopped going inside and tried to run with the much quicker Warriors.
“We tried to get in a running game, instead of letting Chance and Houston do their work down in the paint,” Brown said, adding that Blevins’ and Frames’ size is the only mismatch they have with Arlee.
Against the Bluehawks the Vikings trailed 30-17 at halftime, but had cut the lead to three with less than two minutes to play, when Chico Stipe was called for an intentional foul while trying to put a Bluehawk at the line. With the free throws and ball back, the questionable call put the game out of reach for the Vikings.
Despite the loss, Brown was encouraged with how his team played.
“We had the tempo we wanted. When we got behind we didn’t get out of what we wanted to do,” Brown said.
After being held to only two points and four rebounds against Arlee, Rosenbaum led the Vikings with 12 points and 12 boards.
“He (Rosenbaum) got back to his normal effort. He was crashing the boards and getting second-chance points. He really played his tail off in the Thompson Falls game,” Brown said.
Stipe finished with 11 points and six assist, but more importantly only turned the ball over two times. Viking guards Chance Firestone and Dillon Delaney turned it on for the Vikings in the second half. Firestone scored nine of his 11 points in the second half and Delaney scored all eight of his points in the second half.
The Vikings (4-4, 2-2) travel to Philipsburg Thursday and St. Regis Friday.
Summary
Arlee 63, Charlo 46
Arlee 17 12 17 17–63
Charlo 5 17 9 15–46
ARLEE - Kasey Bridgewater 7, Kyle Felsman 21, Thomas McClure 2, Jesse Pfau 12, Trae Burland 4, John Sansavere 11, Kody Morigeau 4.
CHARLO - Chance Frame 15, Houston Blevins 11, Chance Firestone 7, Chico Stipe 8, Dillon Delaney 3, Chance Rosenbaum 2.
Thompson Falls 54, Charlo 47
Charlo 6 11 16 14–47
T. Falls 15 15 12 12–54
CHARLO - Dillon Delaney 8, Chico Stipe 11, Chance Firestone 11, Chance Rosenbaum 12, Houston Blevins 4, Chance Frame 1.
THOMPSON FALLS - Challis Wilson 8, Jaron Laws 3, Josh Hojem 1, Garrett Reinschmidt 2, Brandon Wakefield 6, Chris Pavlik 12, Will Dalby 8, Mike Wood 14.
