Vikings capture 3rd straight nail-biter, this time in OT

That’s three straight nail-biting victories in a row for Hopkins, a streak that has lifted the Vikings’ overall season record from 3-7 to 6-7 overall and 4-3 in the O-K Silver Conference.

Hopkins pulled off the feat Friday with a 63-59 overtime victory over Northpointe Christian, in a game that included a couple very strange twists.

The contest began in unusual fashion, not with the ceremonial center jump, but instead with Mustang senior Malik Mayfield attempting and swishing two free throws and his team getting possession of the ball out of bounds. Apparently Hopkins was assessed a technical foul to start the ballgame.

The teams did get a center jump, at the start of the overtime session.

The other twist was that the Vikings were badly outgunned in three-point shooting, making only one all evening while Northpointe counted an even dozen.

Despite all of that, Hopkins was able to overcome a 24-21 deficit at intermission and start the second half with a 7-0 run to take the lead. The game was close after that.

The Vikings mounted an eight-point advantage early in the fourth quarter, 48-40 after Curtis Opatik scored a layup, but they suffered a three-minute scoring lapse and Northpointe’s full-court pressure resulted in a Mustangs’ comeback.

But the visitors were able only to split four free throws down the stretch and with just 16 seconds showing on the clock Hunter Llewellyn scored on a rebound putback to knot the count at 55-55 as the two squads went into the extra session.

Weick came through in the clutch in the overtime with three of four free throws and Llewellyn canned a couple of charity tosses to ice the contest with just nine seconds to go.

The victory followed a 60-59 thriller at Wyoming Lee a week earlier and then a 66-62 decision over Plainwell last Tuesday.

Sophomore Nolan Smith played perhaps his best game of his brief varsity career, leading the rebounding effort and dropping in 15 points. Weick and Llewellyn both added 11 points and Optaic came up with some key steals that fueled easy fast-break baskets.

Quentin Huckaby drilled four three-pointers and led the Mustangs with 16 points. Elijah Daley had 15.

Hopkins will be in search of its fourth straight hoops victory when it faces Belding Tuesday.

PHOTO: Sophomore Nolan Smith (5) netted 15 points and led the Vikings rebounding corps.

Mason Schaendorf (33) lets fly with a long two-pointer as teammate Curtis Opatik (10) watches.