The Paly Vikings boys’ basketball team triumphed 57-41 over non-league foe 57-41.

In what was a crucial game in terms of possible open seeding, the Vikings did their job, beating Menlo Atherton by a healthy 16 points. The Vikings started the game off very strong, dominating the offensive boards.

The Vikings jumped out to an early lead, with Spencer Rojahn (‘18) drilling a few threes in the first quarter. Menlo Atherton’s whole game was characterized by missed opportunities, as they missed layup after layup.

As the game went on, the Vikings punished Menlo Atherton more and more on the offensive glass. The Vikings snagged a few boards that led to many second chance points which started to get the game get out of hand. However, Menlo Atherton began to fight back near the middle of the fourth quarter, battling back to an 11 point game.

However, Max Dorward (‘18) killed the game with a couple clutch threes to take a 17 point lead. Adding on some solid defense by the bench players, the Vikings ran away with the game and closed out a crucial victory.

“It was one of our best performances this season,” Will Schmutz (‘18) said. “Our intensity on the defensive end was unreal and we need to keep that up for the rest of the season.”

The Vikings came up big when it mattered and continued their pressure on Menlo Atherton.