On Thursday, January 18, the Valparaiso Vikings girls and boys basketball teams traveled to Lake Central High School to take on the Indians in a matchup that could very well determine the champion of the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC).
All four of these teams were undefeated in conference play heading into tonight’s matchup.
Girls Basketball Recap
The Valparaiso Vikings headed into the game 14-6 and the Lake Central Indians started the game 18-4.
“We know the talent level we have and what we can do, it's just little things that we're working on each week in practice and try to put ourselves in close games,” said Candy Wilson, head coach of the Valparaiso Vikings girls basketball team.
The Vikings have found success through Sophomore standout, Lillian Barnes, who leads the team in a majority of statistical categories.
- Points (17)
- Rebounds (6.2)
- Assists (5.3)
- Steals (4.5)
- Blocks (0.6)
“We knew it was gonna be a tough season. Our schedule has got a lot of incredible teams on it,” Wilson said. “We've had so many games like this where it's down to the wire against teams that are ranked in the top 15-16 and our goal is by the time we get to sectionals — which is creeping up — we are to be able to finish games like this.”
The Lake Central Indians were victorious with a final score of 46-41.
Boys Basketball Recap
The Vikings are 2-2 on the road and sit at 11-3 and undefeated in conference play, but they have their toughest opponent yet in Lake Central, who are 13-0 and #7 in the state of Indiana.
“I'm excited to play a basketball game. It's been a while since we got to play. Even if the circumstances aren't the best, we're happy to do it,” said Ben Lieske, head coach of the Valparaiso Vikings boys basketball team. “It is a fun night, you got two really good teams that have really good programs and we are really excited about it.”
This is the first meeting between these two teams this season and is set to be, quite possibly, the biggest of the season as both teams sit at the top of the DAC and are undefeated in conference play.
“We're playing fantastic. I love how tough these guys are. They're awesome people and they're really fun to be around,” said Lieske. “Getting to spend more time with them has been fantastic and they're really growing together. I love how selfless they are. I respect this team we're about to play so much. They are so tough with how they defend and they're one of the best defenses in the state of Indiana.”
There was a valiant effort in the 4th quarter from the Vikings, as the game was tied 58-58 with 16.1 seconds remaining, but Lake Central was able to score and get to the foul line to end the game.
The Lake Central Indians were victorious with a final score of 63-58.