The boys basketball team (9–8) fell to the Paint Branch Panthers (6–9) 72–56 Friday night.

The first quarter remained close throughout, with both teams playing solid defense and hitting shots on offense. The Vikes trailed 16–14 going into the second quarter.

The Vikes struggled to hit shots against an aggressive Panthers defense for most of the second quarter. The Panthers continued to hit their shots, and the Vikes trailed 35–23 at the end of the half.

The Panthers’ offense slowed down in the third quarter, but they remained in the lead as the Vikes continued to struggle on defense and offense. At the end of the third quarter, the Panthers led 50–35.

The Vikes started to hit more shots in the final quarter but were unable to reduce the Panthers lead. The Panthers outscored the Vikes 22–21 over the eight minutes, and won by 16 points.

Forward Mark Dimitrov led the Vikes offense scoring 12 points while playing aggressive defense to force turnovers.

The Vikes next face the Northwood Gladiators (3–9) Wednesday at 7:15 at home.