The Gibraltar Vikings boys' basketball team overcame a slow start and erupted offensively in the second half to secure the 59-39 victory over the top-seeded Florence Bobcats.
The combination of a raucous atmosphere, an extra day off, and the lack of a long bus ride unlike their opponents helped the Bobcats jump out to an 11-2 start against the Vikings. The Bobcats could not build past a nine-point lead before a pair of dunks by Will Friedenfels helped inspire the team and riled up the strong number of Gibraltar supporters to close the gap. What was an 18-11 score with approximately seven minutes left in the first half turned into a 25-24 lead heading into the break.
The Vikings would not wait long to jump on the Bobcats, opening the second half on an 8-0 run before sprinkling in similar runs throughout the half. The defense for the Vikings would not allow one of the top three-point shooting teams in Division 5 to find their groove as the Bobcats struggled to get shots off from deep and could not convert up close as they only managed two made field goals in the second half. The two teams would trade free throw attempts in the final four minutes, but it was the Vikings making 11 shots from the line to give them the convincing victory.
Carl Burgess led the way for the Vikings with 21 points while Braden Sitte added 14 and Jake Schar chipped in 11. The Bobcats failed to have a single player reach double figures despite having four players average at least 10 points per game during the season. Evan Johnson and Logan Schuls each scored nine points and Dominic DiMuri chipped in 8 in the Bobcats' second loss of the season.
The Vikings will travel to the Oneida Nation Reservation on Saturday to face the Thunderhawks, which as the #4 seed handily beat Goodman-Pembine 64-50 at home. In their previous matchup, the Thunderhawks nearly erased a three-point halftime deficit behind 24 points from Ethan Danforth. However, the Vikings had Jake Schar match him and then some with 31 points as they beat the Thunderhawks at the Turtle School 60-59. Tim Kowols and Bryan Mazur will have the call on 105.1 The GOAT beginning at 6:45 p.m. with the pregame show followed by the opening tip at 7 p.m.
