PLAINS – The Plains Horsemen claimed a huge 71-44 victory against the Charlo Vikings, Saturday, bringing an end to their winning streak.

The Horsemen exploded out to an early lead with seven quick points. They quickly pulled ahead to 20 points while Charlo was still below 10. Both teams played a strong game and closed the quarter at 23-7. In the second quarter, the Vikings fought hard to come back, gaining ground on the home team; however, Plains stayed ahead and maintained their lead before the half came to a close at 37-18.

As the second half opened, Charlo pressed hard and tried to come close in on the home team. The Plains defense remained strong, though, and maintained a 20-point lead. Both teams fought hard, matching each other basket for basket in a stalemate as their scores rose. The Horsemen started breaking away and closed the quarter at 56-32 to Plains.

The final quarter was the most intense as both teams played an extremely aggressive game. Most of the points came through penalty shots as Charlo struggled to come back. It was not enough, though, and the game closed with a score of 71-44. 

The win was especially significant as it broke Charlo’s undefeated winning streak within the conference. Head Coach Carl Benson noted the conference is tough this year and teams need to be on top of things to go far. 

During Friday’s game against Troy, it was noted it was a very up and down game; Plains was only up by approximately six points at halftime. The guys were focused though and handled the ball well, leading to a victory by 19 points. 

Benson said the wins were definite team efforts. He noted this years’ team is very unselfish; the players are willing to pass the ball to their teammates and let them shine just as often as themselves.

Benson felt they played a good defensive game Friday. He recalled their five starters came out and set the tone of the game right away.

“I couldn’t be happier with what I’ve seen tonight,” he said. “We’re looking on building for the conference year.”

He also noted they have a good break during the Christmas holidays where they can work on things for improvements.

During Christmas break, the Horsemen will be working on their defense. The coach said they were in the zone for last week’s games, but they will need to take a look at each team they face and plan individually.