Viking men rally vs. Kellogg

The Vikings simply decided to win Wednesday. In a home bout against Michigan Community College Athletic Association foe Kellogg, the Glen Oaks men's basketball team erased a 14-point deficit in the second half for an 86-79 victory. 

A three-point play by the Bruins midway through the second quarter pushed the visitors' lead to 71-57 and looked as if they were going to run away with a win. That's when an already productive Darrius Roach, who finished with a game-high 27 points, began a relentless attack on the Kellogg defense, slashing through traffic one possession at a time to eventually regain a 77-75 lead. 

Combined with defensive stops on the other end, including four defensive rebounds by Daivion Boleware, Roach scored six straight points before finding Lavonta Ash on the baseline for a layup to get it within six points. A 3-pointer by Boleware and Ash cleanup duty on the offensive glass dialed up the electricity in Centreville as the Vikings were suddenly only down a point with 6:56 to play after a 13-point unanswered run. 

After a loose-ball score under the hoop for Kellogg, Tyler Swanwick drained a 3-pointer to tie the game at 73-73. The Bruins still had no solution for its Roach problem as the freshman guard continued to slip through the lane with two more buckets and a Tylan Harris hesitation move set up an opening to the basket and helped complete the tide shift and give the Vikings a 79-75 lead with 3:57 to play. 

From there, the GOCC defense only allowed one field goal the rest of the way. The Vikings sealed the win with a big dunk by Boleware off the glass and his four free throws down the stretch. 

The win bumped Glen Oaks up to 11-7 overall and 2-1 in conference play. Kellogg dropped to 14-2 overall and 1-2 in the league. 

Harris, who finished the contest with 17 points, fueled the GOCC offense through the first 10 minutes as the sophomore point guard drained three 3-pointers and had 11 points. Roach finished the first half with 12 points and Shane Handlon hit a pair of triples to help the Vikings take a 43-42 lead into the locker room. 

Boleware ended the night with 15 points, Jordan Turner had eight, Ash chipped in seven, and Swanwick and Handlon each registered six. 

The Vikings are back in action on Jan. 29 on the road against Lansing Community College.