Kendall O. (Columbus Academy/Flickr)
Coming off of a tough loss to Whitehall, the Vikings looked to get back on track against CSG after a previous loss 44-18 at the home of the Unicorns, so this game was going to have to be a nitty-gritty battle if the Maroon and Gray were going end up the victors. The Vikings started hot with a three from Kendall O. to quickly take the lead 3-0 and controlled the pace of the first quarter with points from Kyndal S. along with a and-one from Kendall, but the Unicorns were unfazed, matching them on the board at 6-6 going into the second quarter. The Vikes were shut down offensively in the second quarter with a total of five points scored by Kendall O. and Liana L. The Unicorns failed to take advantage of the Viking shortcoming, taking a one-point 12-11 lead going into halftime. Coming out of halftime, CSG extended its lead by two, but it was short-lived, as a shot from Morgan S. took it back to a one-point game. The Vikings continued to match the Unicorns shot for shot, but fell flat to grasp a lead of their own with the third quarter ending 20-22 in CSG’s favor. After a scoreless three minutes of play, The Vikings were down two with time as its enemy. Freshman Liana L. knotted the game up at 22-22, followed by Kendall O. hitting a mid-range shot to claim the lead. Strong defense from the Vikes in the last two minutes led Academy to a 27-24 upset victory against CSG.
On Friday, January 24, the Vikes headed to Grandview Heights, having faced some trouble playing the Bobcats, losing in a 57-52 shootout. But, with one upset win under the Vikes belt, there was no question that a Viking upset was possible. The Vikings dominated the floor in a battle of top performances with the Maroon and Gray led by Sophomore Kyndal S., who had a career-high 27 points and 7 steals, while the Bobcats junior Tatum L. led with 30 of the Bobcats 34. Unlike their opponent, the Vikings were not a one-woman show as Morgan S. and Kendall O. put up double-digit performances. With the offense firing on all cylinders, the Bobcats failed to keep up and fell to the Vikings 53-34.
The red-hot Vikings face off against the Bexley Lions in the Mack on Tuesday, January 28, for a CBL rivalry and a must-win game.
