HOWLAND - LaBrae Vikings guard Matt Szorady knew something wasn't right when it was announced during the second quarter that he had scored his 1,000th career point.
The calculator in Szorady's mind figured the layup he had just converted put him at 998. Told by Vikings coach Chad Kiser that he needed two more points to reach the milestone, Szorady made two free throws moments later.
The mixup was the only thing that went wrong for the Vikings in their 74-33 win over Campbell Memorial in a first-round game of the Division III district tournament Monday at Howland High School. The undefeated and top-seeded Vikings scored 13 of the first 16 points and cruised the rest of the way.
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Tribune Chronicle / R. Michael Semple
LaBrae’s Matt Szoardy, left, is congratulated by coach Chad Kiser after being recognized for scoring 1,000 points.
Kiser was pleased with the intensity the Vikings showed in a game they knew they would win from early in the first period.
"You have to approach every game the same way," Kiser said. "If you lose, you're done. This was the district championship game right here. If you don't (win), you have no chance for it."
Szorady led scoring for the Vikings with 21 points, including 12 in the second quarter. He connected three times from 3-point range.
Szorady, who was presented with a commemorative ball after the game, was glad to get the 1,000-point barrier out of the way. He came in needing 14 points to reach the coveted mark.
"It's definitely a weight off my chest," Szorady said. "Coming in they told me I was close. I just wanted to get it away fast and get back to playing basketball and worrying about team basketball. The team gave me some good looks, and I knocked them down."
No one was happier to see Szorady's accomplishment than Kiser.
"Matt is a pretty even-keeled guy," Kiser said. "I pick him up from school every morning and he shoots for an hour.
"He's been a four-year starter for us, and he's been a captain the last two years. He's played a key role for us for four straight years. He deserves it. On other teams he would get a lot more shots and a lot more points. He's done a nice job of working with what they're giving him."
Peyton Aldridge added 16 points for the Viking and John Richards scored 11. Kiser was able to give his backups plenty of playing time because of the lopsided score.
"All the guys are important," Kiser said. "Peyton plays a huge role. He didn't score a lot early. He was passing the ball. His rebounding was huge for us, and defensively he clogged up the middle.
"He does things that people aren't looking for. He can get 20 or 25 points a game if he wanted to. He averages 15 and does all the other stuff. He handled the ball and played all five spots for us."
The Vikings stormed to a 14-5 lead at the end of the opening period. Szorady's big second quarter led the Vikings to a 39-10 lead at halftime.
Aldridge took over scoring in the third quarter, tacking on 11 points. The Vikings had a 57-18 lead entering the fourth quarter.
