Vikings get big win over Atlanta Tuesday
It was a much-needed win for the Vikings? as they ended a three-game losing streak with a road victory at Atlanta Tuesday, 56-50. Posen was coming off a disappointing 63-60 loss to Hale last Friday, a game in which the Vikings led by five with three minutes to play. The difference Tuesday was free throws.
?They got into (foul) trouble midway through the third quarter,? said coach Ron Misiak. That put Posen in the double bonus. ?We took advantage of that and started attacking the bucket,? said Misiak.
THE VIKINGS made 14-of-20 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter. Junior Ron Kroll and sophomore Aaron Hincka both went five-for-six from the charity stripe in the final quarter. ?We needed that,? said Misiak of the win. ?We protected the ball. We didn?t throw it away. I believe we had one turnover in the last three minutes and attacked the bucket when they gave us the ball.?
Posen?s record improves to 2-4 with two home games in the next week. The Vikes host Arenac Eastern Friday, which is the first meeting between the two schools this season, and Mio on Tuesday.
THE CONTEST was shaping up to be another close one with the score tied at eight after one quarter and the Vikings clinging to a one point lead, 14-13, at halftime. The game remained close through the third quarter before Posen pulled away in the final eight minutes. Husky Tim Smith led all scorers with 20. Putting in a team-high 13 points was Hincka, who also had 13 rebounds.
Sophomore Matt Ponik had 12 points. The JV lost its game 52-39, and slipped to 1-5 on the season. Josh Rose scored a dozen.
POSEN HAD its chances against Hale last Friday but just couldn?t pull away, or put the game away. After an early fourth quarter timeout, Posen patiently ran the offense and found Ponik for a field goal, which gave the Vikings a 54-51 lead. Hale answered but back the other way, Ponik made a brilliant pass to Hincka who converted a layup, and the Vikings? lead was back to three, with 3:03 left in the fourth quarter. Shortly after that play, Kroll came up with a loose ball and went in for an uncontested layup to build the lead to five, 58-53. Defensive lapses and turnovers over the next 1:30 proved to b
PONIK CAME down with a rebound and was fouled, and with the fans chanting ?Let?s Go Red,? he sank both shots to give Posen the lead back, 60-59. But again, Rehmann had an open look at the basket on a running jumper, with one minute left, to give the Eagles a lead they wouldn?t relinquish. Ponik finished with 23 points, while Kroll ended up with 11. Hincka had 12 rebounds. Brandon Thompson had 16 for the Eagles. The Posen JV lost to Hale 52-33. James Sobeck scored 13 points, while Matt Szczerowski chipped in nine.
In the junior Vikings? lone victory of the year, Posen defeated Hillman 43-40. Szczerowski had 15 and Joe Styma contributed 10.
