Lillian Otto Our Hopewell Vikings faced off against Sto Rox. They came out strong and never looked back, pulling away in a hard-fought game to secure a well-earned win.
Hopewell opened the game with strong energy, taking an early lead in the first quarter. James Armstrong powered inside for a layup, setting the tone for the team, and Jack Biega added a smooth three-pointer to extend the advantage. While Sto Rox stayed close, Justin Shegog and Armstrong kept the scoring balanced with efficient inside plays, and Rock contributed with a deep three. Hopewell maintained a slight edge, ending the quarter ahead 22-20 after a series of clutch baskets from Benninghoff and Rock.
In the second quarter, Hopewell started to pull away with aggressive defense and smart offensive execution. Rock knocked down another three, while Shegog’s hustle on the boards led to multiple put backs. Armstrong ignited a fast break layup after a steal, and the team continued feeding off his energy. Freshman Zack Sampson made an immediate impact off the bench with a layup, and Biega’s drive to the basket widened the margin. Hopewell went into halftime leading 39-33, thanks to their balanced scoring and tenacious effort on both ends.
The third quarter saw Hopewell extend their lead with a combination of perimeter shooting and precise passing. Biega drained a corner three, and Rock added an elbow jumper to keep the offense flowing. Avery Bokor contributed with multiple layups and a smooth floater, while Armstrong dominated inside, drawing fouls and converting crucial free throws. The team’s cohesive movement and smart shot selection pushed the lead to 61-49 by the end of the quarter, giving Hopewell a comfortable cushion heading into the final period.
Hopewell closed out the game in the fourth quarter with poise and determination. Armstrong continued to draw fouls and convert from the line, while Bokor showed off his scoring versatility with fast break layups, floaters, and consistent free throws. Rock and Shegog connected on several key plays, including a textbook quarterback-style assist from the other side of the court to Shegog for an easy basket. Hopewell’s energy never wavered, and their disciplined execution allowed them to finish strong, claiming an 80-67 victory and capping off a dominant team performance.
This nice win should give the Vikings momentum going into their next games.
1ST QUARTER
2-0 James Armstrong strong underneath for a layup
5-2 Jack Biega swishes a three-pointer
7-5 Justin Shegog inside to Tre Cameron for two
9-8 Armstrong gets the basket plus the foul
12-8 Rock for three
14-15 Shegog gets a layup to go through
16-15 Armstrong battles for a nice take to the basket for two
18-17 Benninghoff with an easy lay by a nice pass from Armstrong
20-17 Rock inside for two
22-20 Benninghoff with a put-back for two
22-20 End of first quarter
2ND QUARTER
25-23 Three pointer for Rock
27-23 Nice rebounding by Shegog leads to a put-back
29-23 Armstrong has a fast break layup off a steal
31-26 Shegog for two off a fast break layup
33-26 Feed from Armstrong gives Shegog another two
35-28 Zack Sampson fresh off the bench with a layup
37-28 Biega goes all the way in for two
39-33 A steak turns into to two for Shegog
39-33 Halftime
3RD QUARTER
44-34 Biega swishes a corner three
46-34 Elbow jumper for Rock
48-35 A gorgeous feed from Rock leads to an Avery Bokor layup
49-37 Shegog makes 1 of 2 free throws
51-37 Biega powers through for a nice layup
53-40 Hook shot for Armstrong plus the foul
54-40 Armstrong makes 1 of 1 free throws
56-42 Armstrong makes 2 of 2 free throws
58-45 Bokor with a floater for two
61-45 Nice three pointer for Bokor
61-49 End of third quarter
4TH QUARTER
62-51 Armstrong makes 1 of 2 free throws
64-51 Fast break layup for Bokor
65-51 Bokor makes 1 of 2 free throws
67-51 Bokor makes a nice floater over a defender
68-53 Armstrong makes 1 of 2 free throws
72-55 Shegog to Armstrong for two
74-55 Rock with a put-back for two
76-61 Quarterback throw from Rock sets Shegog up for an easy layup
78-65 Rock makes 2 of 2 free throws
80-67 Shegog to Armstrong for two
Unofficial Numbers:
Armstrong 20 points
Justin Shegog 13 points
Brody Rock 14 points
Jack Biega 10 points
Avery Bokor 12 points
