The boys basketball team defeated the Richard Montgomery Rockets, 50-40, in its first round playoff game on Feb. 25.
Both teams started the game by trading shots, with neither squad gaining a significant lead. However, guard Bryan Joel nailed a buzzer beating 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter to put the Vikings up 14-9 heading into the second quarter.
The teams continued to knock down shots and remain within close distance of one another. Small forward Daniel Voigt hit a 2-point shot with 47 seconds left in the half to put the Vikings up by 3 points.
Guard James Dionne followed up Voigt with a 3-pointer with just 2 seconds left to give the Vikings momentum heading into the locker room with a 28-22 lead.
Despite the 5-1 run the Vikings closed the first half with, the boys struggled to make their shots and hold the ball to start the half. The Rockets went on a 7-0 to open up the second half and took a 29-28 lead with just over 2 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
However, center Ian Ross put the first points of the second half on the board for the Vikings when he made a 2-point shot to propel the Vikings back to the lead with 1 minute left in the quarter.
Although the Rockets grabbed the lead shortly after, guard Jake Harrison hit a buzzer beating shot of his own when he made a 2-pointer to put the Vikings up 32-31 with just 1 quarter of play left.
Ross opened up the fourth quarter by hitting 2 free-throws that sparked a 10-2 Viking run. The Rockets pulled within 5 points of the Vikings late in the game, but Harrison and Ross hit nearly all of their free-throws to seal the 50-40 victory over the Rockets for the third time this season.
“This was a big win for our seniors. It was nice to get a home playoff game,” coach Chris Lun said. “The crowd was fantastic, and has been good for us all year. We really appreciate the students coming out to cheer us on. It makes a big difference.”
Ross led the team in scoring with 13 points, while Voigt and Harrison added 10 points each. Joel had 9 points, all of which were a part of a big scoring first half for him.
The Vikings will take on the top seeded and 8th ranked Springbrook Blue Devils in their second round playoff match-up away on Feb. 28 at 7 pm. The Vikings lost to the Blue Devils earlier in the season, 78-52, on Feb. 15.
“Springbrook is very good. They’ve won the past 3 championships for a reason,” Lun said. “We were intimidated against them earlier this year. We have nothing to lose. We need to take better care of the ball, and really hustle in our zone. We will give them our best shot.”
