Vikings get top seed in sectional, Lady Vikings advance
The VASJ basketball team, seeded No. 1 in the Division III sectional at Painesville Harvey, will open tournament play with a sectional final contest Friday, March 4, against the winner of the Independence-Fairview semifinal. The Vikings, ranked No. 20 in the latest Plain Dealer poll, have been playing well lately and took a 12-7 record into their final regular season game against Elyria Catholic.
A key reason for the Vikings’ success this season has been the play of three talented sophomores, including 6-7 Demonte Flannigan, who scored 17 points and blocked seven shots in a recent 63-56 victory over Archbishop Hoban. Duane Gibson, a 6-1 sophomore forward, also scored 17 in that game. Karlton Garner, another tenth grader, made two key free throws in the late stages of the contest.
After falling behind, 36-29, in the third period, Coach Babe Kwasniak’s squad came charging back as the Vikes showed a lot of defensive hustle. A slam dunk by Flannigan on a fast break cut the deficit to two points, 40-38, and the super sophomore displayed a variety of other moves—including a spinning lay-in—as the Vikings gradually pulled away.
Gibson scored six straight points during one stretch of the fourth quarter and Garner also hit several key baskets in the late stages of the game. In a recent PD listing, Garner led all Cleveland area cagers in three-point shooting with 46 makes from beyond the arc.
With three tenth graders among the team’s top scoring threats, Viking fans certainly can be forgiven if they’re looking forward to a potential Division III state title run in the next year or two.
LADY VIKINGS ADVANCE: The VASJ girls basketball team surprised a few folks last week when they upset Pymatuning Valley, 54-42, to capture a sectional crown at Ashtabula Lakeside. The Lakers entered the contest with a 19-2 record, while VASJ sported a not-so-impressive 9-13 mark.
Marquia Ivey’s 19 points sparked the Lady Vikings, who moved on to a district contest against Berkshire (20-2) on March 3. Abbie Fabo added 13 points and Taylor Kline 10.