The scent of a rivalry was in the air for the few hundred Viking fans that packed the bleachers of the DVC gym.
Last season the Vikings faced the Fresno City College Rams in the Final Four of the CCCAA Men’s Basketball State Championships. The Vikings went to the 2 seeded Rams home court and almost brought the house down, only 7 points away from going to the state championship game. It was a tough loss for DVC, but an almost tougher win for a Fresno City College team that took the Vikings for granted.
Wednesday night the Rams came into the DVC gym with an extra ounce of determination. That determination would bring the Vikings season to an end at the Sweet 16, losing 67-49.
“This was a revenge game for Fresno,” said guard Damon Jones. “We played them tough last season at their place and they wanted to come in here and prove something.”
The game started off well enough for the Vikings, with center Raphael Carter securing the opening tip and guard Brian Goins making his first jumper. The smooth opening was not indicative of the grinder of a game that ensued. Through 10 minutes of play in the first period, the score stood at 9-8 with Fresno on top.
“Our defense was good, but it comes down to the basic fact that we didn’t score enough,” said head coach Steve Coccimiglio. “We needed to make shots and didn’t.”
Both teams played stellar, physical defense, but the tipping point for the Vikings would prove to be the Rams depth, fielding a 14 man roster as opposed to DVC’s nine. The bench depth allowed them to rest their players when they needed to, even subbing out all five guys on the court at times. As a result, the Rams were able stay fresh and run the full court press from the opening tip-off to the closing buzzer.
“They are physical, they have depth,” said Coccimiglio. “They have a style that is team oriented and they executed very well. Give them credit. We knew they were going to be a great challenge coming in to this game, and they showed it.”
The Vikings battled, keeping the score close for most of the game and getting stops when they needed them, but never sustained a run.
“We count on our offense, but we couldn’t get a rhythm going,” said Jones. “It stinks, but the season was definitely positive. Everybody wants to win state, sure, but you can’t get too down on getting this far.”
The determination and effort could be seen in the faces of every Viking on the court, but by the closing 10 minutes their bodies could not keep up with the rested bench of the Rams.
“That was a hell of a game, and Fresno is a hell of a team,” said point guard Brian Goins. “This was a great season and I love my team. We say thanks to all the fans who showed up to support us this season and we’ll be back next year.”
