Solid free-throw shooting key to fifth Posen win
by Peter Jakey–Managing Editor
It was a slight chink in the Viking girls’ basketball team’s armor. They hadn’t shot very well from the free-throw line during the first two weeks. Not Tuesday.
The Vikings made 30 of 35 from the line in a 40-point blow up win over visiting Fairview, 60-20. Head coach Karl Momrik had been emphasizing free throws in practice and his squad responded in impressive fashion.
Korynn Hincka made the majority of them as the Eagles kept hammering the all-state center any time she got the ball. She was 19-of-22 and finished with 29 points.
The Vikings are 5-0 at the one-quarter mark of the regular season and 3-0 in the North Star League. Next up is the second game of a varsity doubleheader Friday as Twining Arenac Eastern is in Posen. The boys tip off the action first at 6 p.m. with the girls’ game to follow.
Even though they didn’t need them, the Vikings could have scored more points in the season’s most lopsided win. Momrik believes the offense is doing what it needs to.
“We missed a lot of shots tonight,” said Momrik. “We got the ball where we wanted to and sometimes the shots don’t fall. The fact that we got the ball exactly where we wanted is very good to see.”
Defensively, the Vikings kept Fairview off the board in the third quarter. The Eagles didn’t notch a second half point until the 4:50 mark of the fourth.
“To hold anybody to 20 points, is a pretty good defensive effort,” added Momrik.
The Vikes started the game on a 9-0 run. The score at the end of one was 17-6. The Eagles would stay stuck at six until the 2:50 mark of the second, while Posen went on a 16-0 run.
Hincka, who had 22 by halftime, would make nine straight free throws during the spurt. Jenna Hincka’s jumper early in the third gave the Vikes a 30-point advantage, 43-13. Austin Sharpe upped the lead to 40 by firing in a pair of free throws. Fairview managed only five in the second half.
Anna Couture put in 10 and Hincka had eight.
Last Friday, Posen took on an Au Gres squad that had won two straight. “Our full court press really rattled their young guards, and we jumped out to a 24-7 first quarter lead,” said Momrik. They coasted home from there, 74-40.
Hincka scored 36 points for the third time this season, whi
At Cedarville Dec. 5, Momrik said, “Our press has never been run better. There were countless turnovers by Cedarville. We were in the right place all night long.” The half time lead was 30-18. The final score was 69-50. Hincka had 36 at Cedarville and Couture finished with 12.
The junior varsity is still in search of its first win.
Hunter Kaszubowski was the leading scorer with six in a 29-19 loss to Fairview and eight in a 28-23 loss to Au Gres. Paige Haske had six in a 32-16 loss to Cedarville.