Lady Vikings claim NSL championship

by Peter Jakey–Managing Editor

Stellar free throw shooting helped the Lady Vikings (15-0) keep their undefeated season intact and add another win to the incredible conference-winning streak now at 58.

The following night, Posen clinched its fourth straight North Star League (NSL) title with a 62-43 over Fairview. The Vikings finished the conference with a perfect 11-0 record and have now won 59 straight NSL games.

Alcona’s home fans, including a loud student-cheering section, could not stop the Vikings who came home with a 55-42 win. Last year, the girls’ team needed a win in their final regular-season game to become the first ever to finish 20-0. This year’s squad, ranked second in the Class D Associated Press polls, is trying to duplicate that feat.

Before Monday night, head coach Karl Momrik and his players knew two games on the schedule would stand in the way. The road games at Alcona and Arenac Eastern. 

The Vikings passed test number one against an 11-2 squad, which had won nine straight. As has been the case in recent years, the Lady Tigers, led by all-state candidate Karina Cole, were not going to make it easy.

Down the stretch, Posen made 11-of-12 shots from the free-throw line, while Alcona could only put in four of their 12 tries.

Korynn Hincka was the leading scorer with 23 points, but her 24 rebounds were key to the Posen victory. Ashley Meyers also came through to lock up the win with 19 points.

“This is what it is all about, this is just like the tournament here,” said Momrik, in his postgame comments. “We had to gut it out in the second half. We were our own worst enemies in the first half. We made a lot of dumb mistakes. The three second calls, unforced turnovers, we can’t do that.”

“Everyone gave everything they had,” said Meyers. “There were girls diving to the floor left and right for loose balls, and that’s what we needed to win.”

The momentum was shared by both teams in the first half. Posen enjoyed an 8-0 lead in the first three minutes, but the Tigers stormed back to not only tie, but take the lead, 10-8.

Korynn Hincka scored a quick four points when the Tigers put their post player, Kendra Cole, on the bench in the final moments of the quarter. Posen took a 12-10 lead into the second.

The lead was five when Meyers fired in a trey, but Alcona came back again. Karina Cole stole the ball and fired in a jumper, and with 38 seconds left in the half, torched a three to tie the game at 19. Moments later, the Tigers had their second, and last lead of the contest, 21-19. Korynn Hincka made a pair of free throws to tie the game at 21 heading into the break.

The Vikings played with more determination in the opening moments of the third. It all started with Meyers at the free-throw line. She made the first of a shooting foul, but the second missed and was rebounded by Korynn Hincka, who outhustled a closer Alcona player to get the rebound and scored.

Not long after that, Korynn Hincka drove the baseline, stretched over a defender and put a nice finishing touch on another layup. On the play, she fell hard to the floor and banged her head, but was not slowed.

Posen went up 28-21 on a nifty assist from Meyers to Kayla Lenard on the weakside, who put in the easy shot. That 7-0 cushion was huge.

Later in the quarter, with Alcona down by four, Angellica Patterson was left open on the right wing and made a long two. Then, from the other side, Meyers dribbled into position and took a long “J” herself, that was just inside the three line, and put the Vikes back up by eight, 36-29.

The Tigers, who had players in foul trouble, had some of their starters on the bench at the beginning of the fourth and Korynn Hincka scored the first six of the final quarter to put the Vikings up by 15.

The Tigers got it ba

ck to seven, but Jenna Hincka made both ends of a one-on-one and got the roll on a fast break layup to get it back to 11, 47-36. Her free throws were the start of a streak that saw the Vikings make 10 in a row. They did not have a miss from the charity stripe the rest of the game.

Tuesday, the girls jumped out to a 20-3 lead, which was 32-16 at the half. Momrik said, “We played the night before and it showed. We lost our legs after the first quarter.”

Korynn Hincka had 34, while Meyers put in 12.

Last week, the Vikings blew past Mio, 69-29. Korynn Hincka had 37, while Jenna Hincka had 10.

The junior varsity lost, 30-25 at Fairview, and dropped the Alcona game.