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BURBANK, ILL - Friday night the STL Vikings faced off against the vicious Leo Lions. This was going to be a tough game as the Lions’ height and speed made them a forced to be reckoned with out on the court. As always in the 1st quarter of the game the lead bounced back between the two teams, as the Vikings tried to get a feel for the other teams playing style. As the 1st quarter ended, the Vikings managed to tie up the score, making it 15-15.
As the 2nd quarter began, the Vikes wasted no time, and immediately pulled off a tie breaker, taking the lead with a score of 17-15. The Lions used their speed to try and over-take the Vikings, but with the moral cheering of the Golden Girls, the Vikes shattered every attempt to take the lead. When the Lions managed to tie the game again with a score of 21-21, #25, Steve Rockingham, made an amazing 3pt shot, putting the Lions back in their place. As the end of the first half neared, the Lions did everything they could to bypass the Vikings’ defenses. The Vikings, through skill and teamwork, managed to hold off the Lions’ attacks and end the first half behind by only 1 point.
At the beginning of the 2nd half the Vikes quickly managed to take the lead with a score of 31-29. The Vikings and the Lions kept fighting for the lead, and with great shots by players like #34, Tim McGinty, the Vikes gave them a run for their money. Into the 4th quarter the score was a close 43-42, with the Vikes in the lead. The Vikings kept advancing with the Leo’s on their tail. Leo managed to take the lead for a short time, but it wasn’t long before the Vikings scuttled ahead with a score of 47-46. As the game came down to the last few seconds with the Vikes ahead by a score of 53-48, the crowd was going wild. The Lions were getting careless as they scrambled to catch up. They were no match for the Vikings’ wit, skill and determination, the Vikings were on a roll, and no Leo Lions were going to stop them. The clock whined down, the buzzer buzzed, and in the end, the Vikings came out on top with a score of 57-50, the Leos just couldn’t handle the force of the Vikes. It looks like this time, the predators became the prey.