The boys varsity basketball team went against the Lakewood Lancers and came out victorious on Dec. 9 with a score of 48-35 at the gym. Though the game had a slow start, the Viking’s aggressive defense only allowed Lakewood to score 6 points in the first quarter. The defense also contributed to the comfortable 10 point lead Downey had for the remainder of the game.

“Our defense! That’s the main reason why we win games, and our team chemistry,” Anthony Jack, 11, said.

The team’s chemistry and defense are some of the key elements for the Viking’s win. Another core element that contributed to their victory was the constant possession of the ball throughout the game. It was because of this that the Lancers were unable to ever get ahead on the score board.

The top scorers of the game for Downey were junior Dakari Archer with 11 points, senior Garrett Neilan with 10 points, and senior Anthony Jack with 10 points.

If the Vikings were more effective and played to their fullest potential, these numbers could have been higher. The home team missed several 3-pointers and free throws throughout the game that could have increased the gap in the score.

“I felt that we could have played harder and executed our plays better,” junior, Dakari Archer stated.

All in all, the Vikings enjoyed a very comfortable victory against the Lancers.

With this victory, the Vikings now have a 6-1 overall season record and hope to continue on this positive track in the hopes of winning the San Gabriel Valley League title again this year. They also hope to get farther into CIF playoffs since they lost in the second round last year. The majority of the players are returners and, therefore, these goals do not seem out of reach because of their unity as a team and the hard work that they put into their practices.

Time will only tell how far the team will go for the 2011-2012 season. The Vikings are scheduled to go against Bell Gardens on Dec. 13 for the North Orange County Championships.