The boys basketball team fell to the Blair Blazers 48-35 to start the week, dropping its record to 10-10 on the season.
The Vikings were in a hole from the start of the game, as they trailed 14-8 at the end of the first quarter.
The Vikings had trouble scoring against the Blazers’ stout defense, as they were held to under 10 points in each of the first three quarters.
The loss was especially disappointing given that the Vikes defeated the Blazers earlier in the season, forward Noah Abramowitz said.
“We just couldn’t hit any shots. Our ball movement was great and we were getting open looks. We just couldn’t finish,” he said.
Guard Riley Shaver was the only Viking who registered points in double figures, tallying 19 points.
Guard Shaq Diboti-Lobe added eight points and eight rebounds.
Within 24 hours of their loss to Blair, the Vikings took the court against Kennedy, locking up the number three seed in the division with a 64-59 win.
In a game of runs, the Cavaliers struck first, jumping out to a 10-4 first quarter lead. In turn, the second quarter was all Vikings. The Vikes hardly missed in the frame, outscoring the Cavaliers 23-6 during that span.
The Vikings held a 12-point lead going into the fourth quarter, but the Cavaliers upped their defensive pressure, and capitalized off of Viking turnovers. The Cavaliers were able to get just enough offense to send the game into overtime.
In overtime, the Vikings came out firing, taking an early lead, and not letting it go. The Vikes ended up outscoring the Cavaliers 12-7 in the final minutes, giving them a 64-59 win.
“This was huge for us,” Abramowitz said. “It was a total morale booster. Everyone from the starters all the way down to the guys who got called up from JV all feel that we can make a run and do some serious damage in the playoffs.”
Diboti-Lobe had a dominant game for the Vikes, putting up 23 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
Shaver added 13 points, and center George Wilson chipped in with seven points coming off of the bench.
The Vikings (11-10) will face Northwood this Monday (5-15) to close out their regular season.
