Sports : Champions! Vikings win WaMaC with 72-56 victory over Anamosa

WaMaC Conference Champions: Viking scoring leader Grant Sagan was the first player to cut the net.

Chase Overton

Chris Merchant

Grant Sagan

Coach Joe Johnson finishes cutting down the net as the Vikings celebrate their WaMaC championship.

Max Kearns

Max Griffith

Nolan Sagan

Assistant Viking Coach Kevin Patterson joined the net-cutting celebration.

Viking Seniors with the net: Chris, Kelyn, Max, Max, Tayler and Grant..

For three quarters, the Anamosa Raiders played the Vinton-Shellsburg Vikings point for point.

But the first quarter belonged all to the Vikings, as they built a 15-point lead on their home court, and won by 16, 72-56.

Chris Merchant's 3-pointer with 30 seconds in the first quarter gave the Vikings an 18-3 lead over the Raiders. Grant Sagan led the Vikings with 25 points, while Max Griffith scored 20, most of them coming on second-half 3-pointers that kept Anamosa from catching up. Max Kearns, who has been among the leaders in assists all season, recorded 14 against the Raiders, fooling the defenders with several no-look passes to open teammates under the basket.

The Raiders outscored the Vikings, 22-12 in the second quarter, reducing the Vikings lead to 5 at halftime. They scored the first two points of the third quarter, cutting the lead to three.

But the Vikings quickly tripled that lead and ended the third quarter ahead 43-34.

The fourth quarter brought several successful 3-pointers by the Raiders, but Griffith, the leading 3-point shooter in Class 3A, matched each with one of his own. The Vikings outscored the Raiders, 29-22 in the fourth quarter.

After the players and coaches took turns cutting down a piece of the net, Coach Joe Joe Johnson said he was not at all surprised at his team's success this season.

When asked what he learned this season, Johnson replied, "I'd like to say I learned patience, but i think it's the other way around. Our players taught me to trust them -- the things you see them do on the court, they do without being told to do."

The Vikings are now 20-0, the only undefeated boys basketball team in Class 3A. They host Oelwein Tuesday in the regular season finale this Tuesday, Feb. 11, and begin District play Feb. 18, at home, vs. Independence.

See complete stats HERE.