Vikings outlast FMS Rockets 48-42

FMS's Hawkin King (11) drains one of his two treys in the game and ended up leading the Rockets in scoring with 11 points, but Forrest fell 48-42 at Community on Thursday night. Photo by Anthony S. Puca

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The Rockets played some of their best ball of the season, leading for a little over three quarters before a fourth-quarter Viking surge sent FMS home as the losers 48-42.

Hawkin King, who led Forrest in scoring on the night with 11 points, drained a jumper on the games' first possession to set the tone for the night.

Corey Mooneyham gave the Vikings a 3-2 lead with a three-pointer, but back-to-back treys from Gary Lukonen and King gave the Rockets an early 8-3 spread.

Community came back to within one point at 8-7 before two late baskets by Alex Brewer and Tyler Adcock gave the visiting Rockets a 12-9 lead at the end of the first period.

A Jacob Kupczyk bucket midway through the second quarter gave Community a 15-13 lead before David Andrews came off the pine and hit a three-pointer for the Rockets, putting FMS up by one point.

The Vikings would surge ahead 18-16 on baskets by Ramon Gonzalez and Darian Pride, but a Brewer bucket, followed by a Community turnover and a King jumper late gave Forrest a 20-18 lead at the half.

Adcock kicked off the second half with a basket, but Pride matched it.

Lukonen drained his second trey of the game moments later, and after a Viking turnover, Brewer hit one of two from the free throw line to make it 26-20.

Another Community turnover gave Forrest the ball and Brewer scored to give the Rockets their biggest lead of the game at 28-20 midway through the third quarter.

The Vikings scored a half dozen straight points to cut the FMS lead to two points before Marshall McKee and Mooneyham traded buckets, keeping the FMS lead at two points 30-28.

Brewer hit one of two from the charity stripe with 32.9 seconds remaining in the period, but Mooneyham capped off the quarter with a late basket, cutting the Rockets' lead to 31-30, entering the final six minutes of play.

One free throw by Pride and two by Mooneyham early in the fourth quarter gave the Vikings a 33-31 lead.

Lukonen made a single free throw for Forrest to cut it to one point, but the Vikings went on a 6-0 run to open up a 39-32 lead before Adcock broke the string with a bucket in the paint.

Community continued to lead by six points until two McKee free throws, followed by a long bomb trey by King, sliced and diced the Community lead to a single point at 43-42 with a minute and half to play in the contest.

Unfortunately, the Rockets (4-4) would not score again and the Vikings (6-3) scored five points at the end to take the six-point win.

King had his team high 11 points for FMS, Adcock finished with nine, Brewer had eight, McKee ended up with 4, and Andrews had the one trey for 3 points.

Pride led all scorers with 22 points, Mooneyham chipped in with a solid 19 points, Gonzalez netted five, and Kupczyk rounded out the scoring with 2 points.