It was a game of two halves, evenly played first half and all Vikings in the second. On Saturday, Continental High School hosted Leipsic in their Putnam County League Boys Basketball opener. The Pirates won the tip and a Chris Potts basket put the Pirates on the board first. This basket was followed by a Viking 3 to make it 3-2 Vikings. A pair of Jarret Keck free throws gave the Pirates a 4-3 lead but the Vikings put in a basket to regain the lead. Caleb Olds then put in 7 of the next 9 points to make it 11-7 Pirates. The Vikings put in the final 6 points of the quarter to make it Viking 13, Pirates 11 after 1.
A Nick States 3 opened up the second quarter as the Pirates retook the lead 14-13. A 5 point Viking run was stopped when Olds put in a basket 18-16 Vikings. A Viking pair of free throws was followed by an Olds 3 to make it 20-19. The teams traded baskets with Olds scoring for the Pirates, continued to finish the quarter 22-21 Vikings.
The third quarter had the Vikings put in the first 4 points before Potts hit the bottom of the net to make it 26-23 Vikings. Another Viking 4 point run was stopped when Olds put in 2 and followed it up with a 3, 30-28 Vikings. A 6 point Viking run ended when Christian Keller scored 36-30. The Vikings would put in the last 5 points of the quarter to make it 41-30 after 3.
The Pirates opened up the fourth quarter scoring with an Olds 3 to make it an 8 point game 41-33. A Viking 6 point run was stopped when Mitchell Coleman hit a 3, 47-36 Vikings. The Vikings put in 8 of the games last 14 points to make it a 55-40 Viking final.
Caleb Olds led the Pirates with 22 points. Chris Potts put in 6, Nick States 5, Mitchell Coleman 3, and Jarret Keck and Christian Keller both had 2 points. Olds hit four 3 pointers while Potts and Coleman both hit 1.
The Pirates fall to 0-9 (0-1 PCL) and will travel to Miller City on Friday for another Putnam County League game. Leipsic improves to 4-5 (1-2 PCL).
Leipsic took an exciting Junior Varsity game that went into double OT 49-45.
–Mike Jones, Sportswriter
