DYER BROOK – East Grand of Danforth won its fourth game in a row Tuesday night.

The Vikings improved to 8-3, showing a wealth of talent, inside and outside, from their seniors to starring sophomore James Godley.

And the whole incentive for downing the Southern Aroostook boys 79-74 in a wild, screaming fury in the Warriors’ den was the most common reason of all.

Tourney time.

“We had to win. Jonesport-Beals is right behind us and we need to stay in front of them,” said Godley, who scored a game-high 34 points. “We haven’t been to the tournament since 1991. We really wanted this win.”

Given the Vikings last lost was to Southern Aroostook on Jan. 10, they had no reason to believe their recent hot streak would last through Tuesday.

East Grand second-year coach Troy Cilley said his team just focused on shutting down SAHS starting forward Jordan Shields. And, while Warrior Nate Hardy scored a game-high 28 points, most of them during two impressive SAHS runs in the second and the fourth quarters, the Vikings limited Shields to 10 – and danced around the Warriors’ defense.

“We didn’t get out of the starting gates very well,” Southern Aroostook coach Phil Faulkner said. “We haven’t been mentally prepared and that showed in the first period. Our defense let down. Jordan was a little out of sync. That’s what happens when you lose your composure.”

The Warriors made the game a thriller for some 60-odd fans with a Hardy-led 10-2 run late in the second quarter that trimmed East Grand’s lead to three at halftime.

Then, at the start of the fourth, Southern Aroostook went on a mighty 9-0 run when Shields scored in the low post, Josh Holman hit two free throws and Hardy scored inside and outside. The scoring spurt that lasted 2:20 decimated East Grand’s 13-point lead and made it 67-63.

But each time, the Vikings used a 3-2 zone to shut down the Warriors and stepped around SAHS’s mostly man-to-man defense with different stars each period.

Ryan Brown finished with 16 points, Jesse Bean scored 13 and Josh Frye added 10 for the Vikings.

But it was Godley who blew it open in the first quarter and gave EG a 10-point lead into the second when he scored on a give-and-go with 1:30 to go and then hit a 3-pointer to start a 12-4 run. And it was Godley who hit 4 of 6 free throws in the final minute to keep the Vikings ahead down the stretch.

“We just focused on controlling the ball. We have a lot of go-to guys,” Godley said. “Speed is definitely our strength. We have a lot of guys that can run the ball.”

Gabe Gordon and Holman both scored 14 points for the Warriors, who fall to 7-5.

The Warriors were without starting senior center Rob Betschner, who tore ligaments in his ankle during Christmas vacation.

“Rob averages 10 points and 10 rebounds,” Faulkner said. “We need him badly.”

Vikings 79, Warriors 74

East Grand (8-3) So. Aroostook (7-5)

Name G AG F AF TP Name G AG F AF TP

Godley 12 21 7 10 34 Holman 4 12 3 4 14

Brown 4 15 6 9 16 Gordon 5 8 2 4 14

Bean 6 12 1 2 13 J. Shields 4 13 2 3 10

Frye 4 6 0 1 10 Hardy 13 22 2 3 28

Faulkner 2 8 0 0 4 C. Shields 1 3 2 2 4

Irish 1 4 0 0 2 Nadeau 2 2 0 0 4

Zugelder 0 2 0 3 0 Notto 0 0 0 0 0

Malone 0 2 0 0 0

Hersey 0 2 0 0 0

Totals 29 68 14 25 79 Totals 29 64 11 16 74

East Grand 27 41 65 79

Southern Aroostook 17 38 54 74

3-pt. goals: East Grand (7-20): Brown 2-7, Godley 3-8, Faulkner 0-2, Bean 0-1, Frye 2-2; Southern Aroostook (5-7): Holman 3-3, Shields 0-2, Gordon 2-2

Attendance: 60 (est.)

Preliminary: Southern Aroostook 49-47