After a consistent back and forth game on Wednesday, the boys basketball team (15–10) suffered a defeat from crosstown rivals the BCC Barons (21–3) by five points, losing 60–65.

The game started off with some power, as the Vikes scored the first points of the game within the first 30 seconds. From that point on, the score remained insanely close, with either team only trailing by a few points at any given time.

Even with the steady score, the Vikes struggled on the boards, especially on the defensive end. But as the game went on, the squad continued to pick up momentum and become a larger threat under the basket.

The Vikes, though the score being scarily close, led the Barons throughout the majority of the first half. Through clutch three pointers from guards Alex Sanson and Joey Squeri, the Vikes managed to keep punching holes in the Barons’ defense to stay on top or close behind.

The second half also looked promising for the Vikes, as forward Michael Bass had a monstrous block within the first minute of the third quarter. But, the Barons fought back relentlessly and kept the differential close. At the end of the third quarter, guard Josh Weinberg was taken to the bench with a lower leg injury.

Weinberg was able to return in the fourth quarter, but it was only minutes after his return that forward Rodrigo Ruiz also suffered from a lower leg injury after just tying the score 55–55.

Ultimately, the Barons came out on top, making key free throws toward the end of the game to keep the game out of reach. The game ended with the Vikes down by five at 60–65.

Even with the loss, the Vikes had a tremendous playoff run, defeating the Walter Johnson Wildcats and the Kennedy Cavaliers in the first two rounds, respectively.

It was the last game as a Viking for seniors Max Weinberg, Alex Sanson, Erik Jensen, Joey Squeri, Jack Farren, Joey Cloud, Adam Smith, Kyle Layman and Abdou Diouf. With an enormous part of the team leaving next year, the Vikes will depend on the younger players to step up.