CHICAGO, IL (November 30, 2005) – Bjorn Berg’s three-point shot hung in the air for a painfully long time as if it were in a cheesy sports movie, in which everyone in the theater knows the underdog is going to win.
No one knew for sure what would happen when the rarely used senior set the shot sailing with the Vikings trailing visiting Judson 75-73 and only seven seconds on the clock. The guard had scored just two points in the first half, but was electrifying during the second half, scoring 17 additional points for a total of 19.
As the three-pointer swished the hoop, Berg achieved a career-high point total of 22 while the Vikings edged Judson 76-75 in their quest to end a three-game losing streak this season. Two Judson timeouts and an errant shot later, the Vikings officially put one in the win column.
“I can’t say enough about his effort,” said head coach Paul Brenegan of Berg’s performance. “He got a look tonight and he made the most of it.” The final play was designed to go either to Brett Mathisen, who would shoot to tie, or to Berg, said Brenegan. Berg broke free and got the open look at the basket.
Judson (4-3) was returning from a 10-day break after winning four in a row behind a high-scoring offense. Although the Vikings (1-3) had closed the first half leading 42-36, they were flat coming out of the locker room, and Judson quickly reclaimed the lead for most of the second half.
With less than three minutes to play, Berg shot a three-pointer to tie the game at 68. When Judson countered to go up 71-68, the Vikings brought it down court, where Berg shot another three from the corner to keep the game tied. The teams continued to exchange the lead, with Mathisen getting a key basket as well.
Earlier in the day, Brenegan had noted that the team has 17 new players – and eight team members were injured. Other players were going to have to step up, and on Tuesday night they did.
Berg was not the only player off the bench to contribute in a major way. Junior Steve Reynolds’ play has been limited by a knee injury, but he brought renewed energy to a team that was looking sluggish in the second half. He immediately forced a Judson turnover and continually harassed their ball handlers. Sophomore Jay Alexander also shot key three-pointers.
The game overall was sloppy. The referee blew whistles more often than in an Oakland Raiders football game. The Vikings had 10 fouls with six minutes remaining in the second half, which meant Judson automatically got two shots at the foul line with each infraction.
Still, a win is a win, and Brenegan was happy to take it. “It was good to get that monkey off our back.” The victory was important for developing the young team’s confidence, he added.
In addition to Berg, four other Vikings scored in the double digits including Mathisen with 21, Jason Gordon with 11, and Alexander with 10.
The Vikings next take on Concordia (Wisconsin) at home at 7:30 p.m. Thursday (tomorrow).
Copyright © 2011 The Evangelical Covenant Church.
