Quick tight passes on offense and determined defense resulted in a win for the Wareham Vikings against the Swansea Case Cardinals during a South Coast Conference game on Friday, Jan. 13.

The Vikings won the game against the Cardinals with a score of 84-32, bringing their seasonal record to 8-1.  

The Vikings started the game off strong, with guard Diego Mello scoring the first basket within the first minute. 

Mello set the tone for the rest of the game, with the Vikings scoring 10 points out of the gate.

They carried that energy throughout the first quarter, with multiple 3-point shots from guard Ajay Lopes and center Antoine Crosson. 

“We had lots of good open shots,” said forward Kyle Susko. 

The Cardinals began picking up speed during the second quarter.

Guard Landon Cayton caught multiple rebounds leading to baskets from forward Chrisopher Gaboriault, bringing their score up to 18. 

Although Gaboriault was able to put the Cardinals on the board, excessive turnovers and a case of “butter fingers” brought them to a halt. 

Wareham tightened up their defense in the beginning of the third quarter.

“We brought a lot of energy on defense,” said Head Coach Steve Faniel. “We were able to force some turnovers, which led to fast breaks that led to baskets.”

A fast break is an offensive strategy in which the team moves the ball as quickly up the court as possible, leaving the other team’s defense outnumbered. 

The Vikings’ communication shined during the fourth quarter.

Their ability to share the ball brought them to over 80 points.

“We are always making passes, we try not to play [selfishly] and always find the open man,” Susko said.

The crowd went wild as Lopes stole the ball from Cayton and scored, resulting in the final score of 84-32.

“We are doing what we are supposed to do and not worrying about the opponent,” said Faniel. “We are just trying to get better everyday.”

The next Vikings home league game is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m. against the Somerset Berkley Regional Raiders.