Vikings experience growth in win streak

The Charlo High School boys basketball team continues to see exponential growth in several areas as they won back-to-back conference games against Two Eagle and Noxon.

According to Vikings’ Coach Gale Decker, there were two Vikings that made significant contributions in their back-to-back conference victories: Garrett Vaughn and Tobie Odom.

Odom nearly registered a double-double with a 15 point, nine rebound performance that Decker said was the “difference in a close basketball game.”

Another contributor that emerged for the Vikings was Nate Delaney. Delaney had seven of his 22 points off the bench.

“You have to be happy with that,” Decker said. “Those kids are getting playing time in the games, we are playing close games, and feel confident that we can go to them and they respond. We are getting to the free throw line a lot and that’s always a bonus. We have to get some free throws to the cause. We’ve done better (at the line) and are up to 50 percent anyway.”

Decker said in order to increase free throw opportunities his team needs to get to the line.

“Our offensive rebounding has allowed us to get a lot of opportunities at the free throw line,” Decker said. “Against Two Eagles Landers Smith had 13 rebounds and Odom had nine and two they grabbed 22 rebounds and that is a good start when you need a win anyway.”

Against Two Eagle, Decker noted the improvement of his conference foes since the beginning of the season.

“They zoned us most of the night and we had to be pretty patient,” Decker said. “We got the shot but they pressed us pretty hard. It wasn’t until the second half that we attacked harder. We got a lot of three on twos, three on ones, and pressed the issue to try to get a layup. That is something we were able to do in the second half. We have to be more aggressive in the second half against the press.”

As the Vikings prepare to head into the final stretch of their season, they need to start generating offensively, according to Decker.

“Our biggest issue is offense and we are having trouble generating consistent offense through the long stretch of a game,” Decker said. “We’ve got to get better. Last night, we worked the clock and that was good for us to take good shots. At the end of the year, it’s always important to be able to do that.”

Decker said he hopes his team is able to sustain its momentum throughout the season.

“I think when we kind of searched down through our bench and tried some combinations, we subbed pretty early in the first quarter (against Noxon),” Decker said. “If we can find that kid that has it going that night and stick with him, that gives us a few more options going into games. We don’t have to have our first five get all of the production. It would be nice to have seven or eight kids rotating going through that night.”