The girls basketball team beat the 3-1 Paint Branch Panthers 49-31 Dec. 17, pushing its record up to 4-1.
As Viking fans cheered on the announcement of the starting line-up, the Panthers huddled up and started chanting on their side of the court. This attempt at intimidation proved to be ineffective though as the Vikes controlled the game early, going a 6-0 run in the first four minutes.
Guard Maddie Cannon fell into a rhythm earlier, scoring the first points of the game as captain Linn Bumpers led the Vikes’ tight man-to-man defense.
“Of all the things we did we did well, it was our defense that won this game,” Bumpers said.
Although the Vikings started off strong, they fell out of their groove and were down 9-10 at the end of the first quarter. Guard Kiara Colston relentlessly drove the ball into the paint, putting up a total of 12 points throughout the game. The Panthers started committing several fouls, but the referees seemed to miss many calls, visibly frustrating the Vikes.
Things started to pick up in the second quarter when guard Marie Hatch entered the game and finished a lay-up, hit a three, and stole the ball from the Panthers, all within a minute in a half. Hatch continued her shooting streak from both within and beyond the three-point arc, scoring nine points in the second quarter alone.
“Marie really stepped it up and helped lead the team on offense,” Bumpers said. “She was a real spark off the bench for us.”
Forward Dani Okon also added to the Vikings second quarter success, staying strong down low and making frequent trips to the foul line.
Entering the second half with a 24-14 lead over the Panthers, the Vikings kept up the relentless pressure. Cannon, and guards Kim Durante and captain Brittany Fleck, constantly made swift passes to Bumpers, Okon and center Avery Witt on the post, causing the Panthers’ defense to collapse and commit foul after foul; the Vikes made 50 percent of their free-throws compared to the Panthers’ 58 percent.
Hatch continued shooting the lights out and tallied two more threes in the third quarter, putting the Vikes up 37-20 by the end of the period.
Bumpers set the tone in the fourth quarter, diving for loose balls and taking charges. Bumpers and Cannon each finished with 10 points while Hatch tallied a total of 20 by the end of the night. The team collectively played smart offense in the last few minutes of the game, passing the ball around and only taking shots when wide open.
“We did a great job penetrating their zone and executing our plays against their man,” Bumpers said. “It really worked out for us.”
The Vikes look for another victory Dec. 18 when they take on the 4-1 Walter Johnson Wildcats away.
