Sports : Still perfect: Strong finish gives Vikings 70-55 win over Benton

Chase Overton, Max Kearns and Grant Sagan try to stop a Bobcat from scoring; the Vikes won, 70-55.

Up by only a point with just under a minute to go in the third quarter, the Vinton-Shellsburg boys rallied for a 70-55 win at home against Benton Community to keep their season perfect. The Vikings scored 30 of their points in the last nine minutes of the game, including 11 straight to make the score 51-39 with sixt minutes to play.

The Vikings head into the Christmas break 8-0 and ranked first in the state in Class 3A. Benton Community falls to 3-6.

Grant Sagan made several free throws, including two after a Benton technical foul late in the third, to help the Vikings keep the lead. Benton's full-court pressure had resulted in several Viking turnovers and helped keep the game close throughout the first three quarters.

Sagan again led the Vikings with 24 points, including eight from the free throw line. He also hauled in 16 rebounds. Max Kearns had 17 points and eight assists. Kearns leads Class 3A players in assists while Sagan is the second-leading scorer in Class 3A.

After their first eight games, the Vikings average 70.75 points per game while holding their opponents to an average of less than 49 points per game.

The VIkings resume their regular season at Union Jan. 3, but over the Christmas break will scrimmage Class 4A Western Dubuque, which defeated them in last year's Class 3A Sub-State game.

See complete stats HERE.