Bluehawks fight to the end

Thursday nights game between the Thompson Falls Bluehawks and the Big Fork Vikings game started off slow for Thompson Falls and continued until the fourth quarter. When it looked like the game was going to finish with the Vikings defeating the Bluehawks with a huge point lead, the Hawks dug deep down and gave the Vikings a run for their money.

The first quarter did not look good for Thompson Falls. They only scored two points from a drive down the court and two points from free throws. The Vikings racked up a total of 22 points. The offense could not pass  the ball without the Vikings continuing to intercept passes and block shots and the defense could not keep up with the returns.

The second quarter was only a little bit better for the Hawks. It was only around 5:30 left on the clock did the Hawks add any points in the second. It was when a three pointer was made and the team picked up their pace. They only gained 11 points overall. The Vikings scored a little less than the first, adding 17 points. The score was 39 to 15.

Come halftime and the teams went into the locker rooms, it was not looking good for Thompson Falls and it was evident it was being felt throughout the gymnasium. There was a lack of excitement from the audience.

The third went to the Vikings again who made 19 points, while Thompson only made seven points. The score was a pitiful 58 to 22. It looked like the fourth was going to be the same, yet things were about to change.

Almost immediately the tides began to shift. With a strong determination, the Hawks began to make drive after drive. Dalton Hooten, of the Bluehaws, set up plays for the team, allowing multiple two and three pointers to be made. The Hawk’s supporters on the bleachers went crazy and the yelling filled the gymnasium. At one point, a call about a blocked shot was made in favor of the Hawks and the Vikings’ coach began yelling at the referee and the crowd got even louder. The Hawks had quite a gap to close, and it was evident that it was a losing battle, but it could be seen that the Hawks wanted to fight to the very end.

Sadly the Bluehawks could not overcome the Vikings, but Thompson Falls closed the gap to an 18 point difference, entirely different than the 36 point difference at the end of the third. The final score was, Vikings 67, Bluehawks 43. Coach Jake Mickelson was not happy with the loss, but was proud how the team finished the game and wished the team could have played that well the entire game. He said, “ We finally matched their intensity... midway through the third we actually started playing basketball he said. We’ve got to take that to four quarters if we want to beat any team.” He was very proud of Dalton and said that it was evident he wanted to win, just that he needs to be more confident and drive hard every quarter.