Special to The Dorchester Banner/Dave Ryan Cambridge-South Dorchester High School varsity basketball Head Coach Vic Burns, center, got his players focused during a break in Monday’s game against Kent County High School.[/caption]

CAMBRIDGE — “You better come out ready for a physical game here. You start out physical yourselves,” Vikings’ basketball Head Coach Vic Burns told his players minutes before their game Monday against visiting Kent County High School.

He was right. It was fast and furious through regulation and a four-minute overtime period, with the game hanging in the balance until the final seconds. Kent County pulled out the victory, 69-67.

The score was within a bucket or two of a tie for most of the game, as a rowdy crowd shouted support for the home team. Kent’s fans travel well, showing their colors making some noise as well.

A fired-up group of C-SD students raised the roof with cheers and teasing chants of “Marcquan, Marcquan” every time Kent’s star athlete Marcquan Green touched the ball.

Michael Richardson sank a 3-pointer at 6:18 of the first period to open the Vikings’ scoring. The teams kept it close after that, and the first half ended with C-SD ahead, 25-23.

The end of the third quarter saw the score at 40-39 in favor of the visitors. C-SD began to pull ahead at the 6:30 mark of the fourth quarter when Koby Jones completed a dazzling layup that had the crowd roaring. Three minutes later, a couple of clutch free throws by freshman guard Naa’il Thompson brought it 49-44.

It looked like the Vikings were going to come out on top.

But Kent wasn’t done, and closed the gap to 59-57 with 9.8 seconds to go. The Trojans brought the ball down court, sent up a shot, and a leaping Dre Greene gave the ball a mighty swat, sending it out of bounds as the crowd went wild.

With just 1.5 seconds left, the score at 59-57, Kent was ready to take the inbounds pass. The ball came into play and the shot went up and in, tying the game as the buzzer sounded.

Much of the overtime period was taken up with foul shots, as fatigue and desperate effort began to affect the players. In the final minute, with the score tied at 67, Kent County held the ball, passing, with neither team ready to make their move.

Finally, the Trojans drove for the basket, drew a foul and scored the final points of the game.

Saying he was proud of the character his players showed, Coach Burns pointed out one area where his young men could improve. “We’ve got to learn how to finish,” he said.

Special to The Dorchester Banner/Dave Ryan Vikings Markell Pinkett, 3, and KeonAndre Greene, 13, defended a layup by Kent County’s Marcquan Green.[/caption]

Special to The Dorchester Banner/Dave Ryan There was plenty of spirit at the game. The boisterous crowd featured these students cheering their friend Naa’il Thompson.[/caption]