VIKINGS CLOSE DECMEBER 3-2

RYAN HITTING DOUBLE-DOUBLE PER GAME

By Staff

          LINDSBORG – The Smoky Valley boys basketball team closed out the December part of the 2025/26 schedule with three wins and a pair of losses after scoring a pair of wins in the final week before the holiday break.

          After losing a heart wrenching 52-61 game to Concordia on Friday, December 12, the Vikings powered back and scored a 55-41 win over Belle Plaine on Tuesday, and a fourth-quarter comeback win over Halstead on Friday.

          In the first five games, senior Kristian Ryan, who is returning from missing most of 2024/25 to an injury, is averaging a double-double every game with 25.2 points and 14.0 rebounds per game.

          Now 3-2 for the season, the Vikings will return from Christmas break to play at Hoisington on Tuesday, January 6 followed by a home game with Chapman on Tuesday, January 13 and a road game at Nickerson on Friday, January 16.

          Here is a summary of the final three games the Vikings played in December before the holiday break.

FRIDAY, DEC. 12 – at Concordia

          On Friday, December 12, the Vikings held a slim, two-point, 19-17, lead at the end of the first quarter at Concordia before falling behind 31-35 going into the halftime break. Pulling back to within a point, 43-44, at the end of the third quarter, Concordia out scored Smoky Valley 17-9 in the final stanza to hand the Vikings the final nine-point, 52-61 loss.

Kristian Ryan continues to make up for missing most of last season as he scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Vikings.

SCORING: Vikings lost 52-61.

Vikings = 19-12-12-9 = 52; Concordia = 17-18-9-17 = 61.

TEAM STATS:

Vikings = 2FGs – 21/46; 3PTs – 0/10; FTs – 10/19; Assists – 10; Rebounds – 14/21= 35; Steals – 5; Blocked Shots – 1; Turnovers – 17; Fouls – 19.

VIKING INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS:

Scoring (52) = Kristian Ryan – 26; Braylon Olson – 8; Ty Heitschmidt – 7; Atticus Pavlovich – 4; Chandler Reed, Brock Gengler, Kaleb Burgardt – 2; Marik Anderson – 1.

Assists (10) = Burgardt, Olson – 3; Anderson – 2; Gengler, Ryan – 1.

Rebounds (35) = Ryan – 11; Olson, Pavlovich – 6; Reed – 4; Gengler, Anderson – 3; Heitschmidt – 2.

Steals (5) = Gengler – 3; Olson, Anderson – 1.

Blocked Shots (1) = Pavlovich – 1.

TUESDAY, DEC. 16 – hosting Belle Plaine

          The Vikings took a three-point, 17-14 first quarter lead and stretched it out to a 16-point,30-14 advantage at the halftime break by shutting out Belle Plaine in the second quarter on Tuesday. After dropping a six points off the lead to just 41-27 after three quarters, Smoky Valley cruised in for the final 14-point, 55-41 win.

Smoky Valley dominated the boards, holding a 37-22 advantage in rebounds.

Kristian Ryan had a monster game, scoring 22 points and recording 15 rebounds. Braylon Olson also reached double digits in scoring with 13.

SCORING: Vikings won 55-41.

Vikings = 17-13-11-14 = 55; Belle Plaine = 14-0-13-14 = 41.

TEAM STATS:

Vikings = 2FGs – 21/52; 3PTs – 1/5; FTs – 10/13; Assists – 9; Rebounds (off/def) – 15/22=37; Steals – 8; Blocked Shots – 1; Turnovers – 13; Fouls – 11.

Belle Plaine = 2FGs = 11/31; 3PTs – 5/21; FTs – 4/7; Assists – 15; Rebounds (off/def) – 9/12=21; Steals – 5; Blocked Shots – 5; Turnovers – 15; Fouls – 13.

VIKING INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS:

Scoring (55) = Kristian Ryan – 22; Braylon Olson – 13; Kaleb Burgardt – 7; Atticus Pavlovich, Chandler Reed – 4; Marik Anderson – 3; Mason Riedel – 2; Brock Gengler, Kyle Robledo-Diaz – 0.

3-Pointers Made (1) = Burgardt – 1.

Assists (9) = Olson – 4; Ryan – 2; Burgardt, Pavlovich, Reed – 1.

Rebounds (37) = Ryan – 15; Reed – 6; Pavlovich – 5; Anderson – 4; Olson, Riedel – 2; Gengler, Robledo-Diaz, Burgardt - 1.

Steals (8) = Ryan – 2; Olson, Pavlovich, Reed, Anderson, Riedel, Gengler – 1.

Blocked Shots (1) = Reed – 1.

FRIDAY, DEC. 19 – hosting Halstead

          Kristian Ryan dominated the seven-point win over Halstead on Friday, December 19 as he scored 32 points and pulled down 21 rebounds. Kaleb Burgardt pitched in with 10 points with Braylon Olson and Atticus Pavlovich scoring two points each and Brock Gengler getting one.

          The Vikings only lead by four, 8-4 at the end of the first quarter before pushing the lead to 10, 26-16 at halftime. Halstead fought back and tied the game at 36-36 after three quarters before the Vikings finished off with the final seven-point, 49-42 win.

SCORING: Vikings won 49-42.

Vikings = 8-18-10-13 = 49; Halstead = 4-12-20-6 = 42.

TEAM STATS:

Vikings = 2FGs – 15/31; 3PTs – 1/12; FTs – 14/20; Assists – 2; Rebounds (off/def) – 13/27=40; Steals – 12; Blocked Shots – 1; Turnovers – 20; Fouls – 19.

Halstead = 2FGs – 7/20; 3PTs – 5/23; FTs – 11/22; Assists – 1; Rebounds (off/def) – 3/11=14; Steals – 15; Blocked Shots – 0; Turnovers – 12; Fouls – 17.

VIKING INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS:

Scoring (49) = Kristian Ryan – 32; Kaleb Burgardt – 10; Braylon Olson, Atticus Pavlovich – 2; Brock Gengler – 1; Titus Griffith, Marik Anderson, Chandler Reed – 0.

3-Pointers Made (1) = Burgardt – 1.

Assists (2) = Griffith, Anderson – 1.

Rebounds (40) = Ryan -21; Burgardt – 6; Pavlovich – 4; Olson – 3; Griffith, Anderson – 2; Reed, Gengler – 1.

Steals (12) = Olson – 5; Burgardt, Pavlovich – 3; Ryan – 1.

Blocked Shots (1) = Ryan – 1.

(The Staff covering McPherson County Activities can be reached by email at macks.people.places@gmail.com)