The boys basketball team fell to the 5-0 Paint Branch Panthers 68-56 Dec. 17, dropping its record to 1-4.

In a physical match against a team that is ranked 18th in the Washington Post, the Vikes kept it close, trailing by only two points late in the third quarter. However, the Panthers gained ground in the fourth by forcing Whitman to take bad shots and commit sloppy turnovers.

The Vikings were once again led by captains Daniel Lowet and Andrew Castagnetti who scored 17 and 13 points respectively. Lowet faced a physical Panthers team down low, drawing contact nearly every time he got the ball.

Guards Robby Lund and Adam Joel provided a spark off the bench, each scoring four points.

In the end, the Vikes were overwhelmed by the Panthers’ multi-dimensional offense, which consisted of three players who scored double figures and two more players with nine and eight points.

The team looks to rebound from a two-game losing streak against local rivals the 1-4 Walter Johnson Dec. 21 and the 2-2 Churchill Bulldogs Jan. 2.