Vikings dominate Mio in 64-35 win Tuesday
With a strong presence inside and solid defense, the Posen Vikings shocked Mio on the hardwood Tuesday (Jan. 14) 64-35 to earn their third straight victory. The Vikings (4-4, 4-3) outscored their last two opponents by an average of 35 points. They derailed Arenac Eastern last Friday by 40, 85-45.
It was Posen?s first victory over Mio in basketball since January 19, 1999, when the Vikings ended the Thunderbolts? 37-game regular season unbeaten streak with a 70-65 win. Tuesday?s victory was decisive and dominating, and pretty much over in the first half.
?It?s great to beat Mio, because they are always a powerhouse in the North Star League. It?s a really good feeling,? said sophomore Matt Ponik who had 14 points and eight rebounds.
The Vikings will try to extend their winning streak to four when they host their third straight home game Friday against Au Gres, who they beat in mid-December. They?ll be at Rogers City Tuesday.
WITH THE score still close at 20-17, Posen went on an 18-0 run, with six of the points coming off an offensive outburst by junior Ron Kroll. With just under six minutes left to play in the first half, Mio?s Eric Grace hit a three-pointer. The Viking defense wouldn?t allow another T-Bolt point until the opening minutes of the third quarter.
The score at the break was 38-17, with Posen in command. It still may not have been enough of a cushion for coach Ron Misiak, who picks up his first victory over Mio in six tries.
?You always worry about that letdown because you have that big lead,? said Misiak. There was to be no let down. ?It was a team effort. All in all, we played perfect,? said Ponik.
Misiak said he has had the players working on defense and passing in practice, and it?s finally starting to pay off. ?We?ve been having too many turnovers all year long,? said Misiak, who was exhausted after the contest. ?We?ve practiced at least half an hour every day, just nothing but passing.?
AFTER A 1-4 start, the Vikings have reached the .500 mark and believe, with some help in the conference, they are officially back in the race for first place in the North Star League. With wide margins of victory in their last two games, especially against Mio (6-3), they?ll open up some eyes around the league. In the current three-game winning streak, Posen looks strong in all aspects of the game.
The Vikings have sharpshooters from outside, a tremendous complement of players coming of the bench, but most of all, the inside threat of senior Pat Bronikowski and sophomore Aaron Hincka is an advantage a lot of teams will have a tough time countering.
That was certainly the case against Mio, as the Bolts were without tCarlton Davis. Without Davis, the Vikings owned the paint. ?Our big guys really took over,? said Misiak.
AFTER THE score was tied at 6-6, Bronikowski and Hincka accounted for 10 of the Vikings? next 12 points, before the home team went on the 18-0 run. Bronikowski had back-to-back games of 16 points. Posen continued to control the game in the second half, building a lead as high as 32 points with six minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Kroll had 13 points in the game.
LAST FRIDAY, the varsity had three players in double figures in the win over Arenac Eastern. Bronikowski and Hincka combined for 34 points, Bronikowski 16 and Hincka 18, while Ponik had 18 points. The JV won its second game of the season with a win over Arenac Eastern, 49-44. Clutch free throws by Josh Rose, who went two-for-two in the final quarter, were enough to hold off a late challenge from the visiting Eagles, who came back from 12 points down to make the game interesting.
Sobek and Rose both finished with 14.
