GUERNSEY—It was the final home game, senior day and hey had another win…well, almost. The Guernsey-Sunrise Vikings basketball team led the Rock River Longhorns from early in the game until the final five minutes, only to fall behind by just a bucket, then two. But with just six players on the team, fouls and the ability to give players a breather can become big issues by this point in a game and did. Sitting one player down was tough but sitting the next one was essentially the end as the Vikes were left short a player on the court.
Rock River pulled off the 43-39 win and the Vikes were left to lament a game that could have given them just their fourth win of what’s been a tough season for them.
The first quarter was a draw at 14 points each but in the second eight minutes, the Vikings opened up a five-point lead, a position they’ve rarely enjoyed this year. They kept the lead in the third quarter but by the opening of the final chapter, Rock River began to chip away, and the limited numbers on the Guernsey-Sunrise bench began to have an effect as well.
Despite the final score, there were certainly bright spots for the Vikings as they put two players in double figures; junior Alex Delgado managed a double-double.
Delgado finished with 13 points 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals while sophomore Justin Malcom had 18 points, a pair of rebounds, an assist and a shot block.
Senior Dylan Rose dropped in four points and had three rebounds and a steal.

Senior Austin Albrecht tossed in three and had five rebounds and two steals.
Junior Dominick Ibarra finished with one free throw, three rebounds and a steal.
The Vikes hit 11 of 35 two-point shots and two of 10 treys. They made 11 of 22 free-throws and took down 29 rebounds (eight offensive). They committed 19 fouls and 18 turnovers.
The news was much better last Wednesday when the Vikings topped the Wheatland freshman team 54-23.
Guernsey-Sunrise did hold the lead all four quarters in this one with Delgado and Malcom leading the way again.
Delgado canned 25 points and had 15 rebounds, two assists, four steals and a shot block.
Malcom hit 18 points and had six rebounds, three assists, six steals and a shot block.
Albrecht and Ibarra each had four points. Ibarra snagged four rebounds and had an assist and a steal. Albrecht had a rebound, an assist, a steal and a shot block.
Rose finished with two points and had seven rebound, three assists, and two steals.
The Vikes hit 24 of 44 from two-point range and missed both three-point attempts. They made six of 18 free-throws and collected 34 rebounds (12 offensive). They committed 12 fouls and 17 turnovers.
The Vikings have a tough draw for their first game in the regional tournament in Douglas on Thursday as they’ll take on the top-seeded Upton Bobcats from the Northeast. That game will open the Class 1-A East regional at 9 a.m. in the Douglas High School. A win would put them up against the winner of the Hanna-Elk Mountain/Hulett game on Friday at 4 p.m. A loss would send the Vikes to a loser-out game Friday at 9 a.m. against the loser of that game.
The top four teams will advance to the state tournament on February 28-March 2 in Casper.