The Gibraltar Vikings found themselves in a hole they could not climb out of on Tuesday, falling to Florence on the road 60-48.
The Vikings went the first seven-plus minutes without scoring a point, while William Kelley, Truth Setner, and Dustin Williams helped the Bobcats jump out to a 17-0 lead. Braden Sitte would catch fire later in the half, but not before the Bobcats could extend their lead by as much as 23 points before a half-court buzzer-beating three-pointer sent the Vikings into the locker room down 35-19.
Head coach Travis Ward said Sitte's buzzer-beater inspired the Vikings at the beginning of the second half, going on an 11-3 run thanks to clutch shooting from Brady Kita and Marshall Maltby on the line.
The Bobcats never let the Vikings get the deficit to under eight points. They hit 18 free throws in the second half to keep them at arm's distance the rest of the way. Kelley and Trent McLain poured in 17 points apiece, and Williams added 16 points in the win for the Bobcats. Sitte fouled out with 24 points in his final game as a Viking, with fellow senior Maltby chipping in eight points and Marco Jauregui coming in at the end to score five points.
The Vikings end the season 6-19 overall with a chance to return most of their team outside of their top scorer and rebounder.
