CAMBRIDGE — The Cambridge-South Dorchester High School boys’ junior varsity basketball team earned its ninth win of the season Friday, posting a 49-42 score against visiting Kent Island.

With only three close losses so far - “The losses are all by 3 points,” Coach Head Coach Tommy Frazier said - the squad is looking at a successful campaign.

Despite leading players Virgil Simms and Clive Rhoden getting in foul trouble early with two each in the first period, the Vikes started out on top in front of their home crowd.

Starters Tre Berdley, Jose Rodriguez, Virgil, Clive and Darius Woolford gave the Vikings an 8-1 lead halfway through the opening quarter. The Vikings’ accurate shooting was countered by their turnovers, however, which helped the visitors to close to 15-10 as the second quarter began.

When the Buccaneers made it 15-12 about a minute in, Coach Frazier called a timeout. “We’re up by 3 points,” he told his players. “We were up by 10.”

The coach combined instructions to attack the basket on offense with shouted orders for defense from the bench - “You’ve got to cover the post!” as the Vikings protected a narrow lead and tried to shut down the Buccaneers’ 3-point shots.

Moments before the second half began, Coach Frazier urged his men to use not only their speed, but also their game sense, saying, “We want to run, but we have to be smart.”

The Vikes’ lost the lead at 5:17 in the third quarter, when another 3-point shot gave the Bucs a 24-25 advantage. But C-SD’s defense tightened up as the period progressed, with sharp passes helping to spark the home team’s offense.

The third quarter ended with C-SD ahead 39-27. The Vikings didn’t find the solution to the Bucs’ long-range attack, with a trio of 3-pointers helping to bring the tally to 43-38.

“We can’t let them do that,” Coach Frazier told the players during a timeout.

Two traveling calls with less than two minutes left in the game turned the ball over and the Kent Island boys closed to 45-40 at the 48-second mark.

Special to The Dorchester Banner/Dave Ryan Tre Berdley scanned the court before an in-bounds pass.