Vikings can't overcome first quarter deficit at West

Box Score

The Princeton boys' basketball team could not overcome a huge first quarter deficit to fall 68-56 at Lakota West on Friday, December 21. The Vikings drop to 3-2 overall, and 2-2 in the Greater Miami Conferece.

The Firebirds jumped out to a 20-5 first quarter lead, dominating in all phases of the game. Princeton would respond in the second quarter, but would trail 30-21 at half time.

The Vikings, led by Darius Hilson, would put together a strong comeback in the second half. Trailing 51-39 at the end of the third quarter, Princeton would cut the lead down to seven points in the final minutes. The Firebirds would convert free throws down the stretch to seal the win. West shot 17-20 from the charity line, and 23-54 (42.6%) from the field.

Senior Darius Hilson led the Vikings in scoring with 17 points and 11 rebounds. 

Dorian Jordan would add 15 points, 7 steals, and 4 assists in the loss. Princeton would receive a strong performance off the bench from Ryan Bricking, who finished with 10 points.

As a team, Princeton shot just 21-65 (32.3%) from the field and converted 14-23 from the free throw line. The Firebirds owned the boards the entire night, out rebounding the Vikings 41-28. West was led by Monty Boykins with 25 points.