When senior Christian Bakken went to the bench with three fouls only six minutes into the game and junior Mike Scott picked up his third foul early in the second quarter, the Vikings looked vulnerable and were need of a savior.

That savior came in the form of junior Dominick Powell who carried the boys’ varsity basketball team to the 55-33 victory over the Saratoga Falcons on Tuesday night.

"We really needed someone to step up for us," senior Jonny Palmer said. "Dom gave us the inside presence we’ve been lacking."

Tuesday’s win continued the Vikings’ roller coaster season. The Vikings have yet to win or lose more than two games in a row. Since the Vikings’ 51-37 win over Cupertino at home on Jan. 5, the Vikings stumbled at Los Gatos, losing 46-37. Paly rebounded with a 64-32 thumping of Stagg. The Vikings (10-6, 3-1 league) came in tied with Milpitas and Gunn for first place in the De Anza division.

"It’s a work in progress," head coach Peter Diepenbrock said. "We still need to execute the half court offense."

The Saratoga Falcons (13-6, 2-3) came in winners of two straight including their second win over Los Gatos this year, the same team the Vikings lost to a week ago. The Falcons did lose, however, to Fremont, a team the Vikings beat on Jan. 2.

The Falcons feature a short lineup with only two players at 6′ 2". The Vikings feature a starting lineup with two players, senior forward Christian Bakken and junior center Dominick Powell, over 6’5" as well as some height on the bench.

"It’s difficult to take of a size difference," Diepenbrock said. "Especially with the way we’ve been handling the ball recently"

But Powell was able to exploit the height difference, dominating the boards all night and scoring seemingly at will.

After an initial three-pointer from the Falcons, the Vikings scored 10 straight points and ended the first quarter on a 14-2 run. The Falcons shot only 2 of 10 and turned the ball over nine times in the quarter. Powell and senior Nick Goodspeed each had four first quarter points. The Vikings’ full court press caused havoc for the Falcons, forcing three consecutive turnovers at one point, leading to six Viking points.

In the second quarter, the teams combined for only five field goals yet scored a combined 19 points. The Vikings shot 3 of 17 while the Falcons shot 2 of 7, but made 8 of 11 free throws. The teams combined for 20 fouls in the half with the Vikings having 13. The free throws kept the Falcons in the game and they entered halftime down 21-17.

Despite only scoring two points in the qaurter, Powell’s effort was felt on defense. His size and wing span kept the Falcons out of the paint, forcing them to settle for jump shots.

By halftime, Powell had only six points, but also eight boards, three blocks, and two steals. Powell played the entire half with Scott and Bakken on the bench for most of the second quarter.

In the third quarter, the Vikings began to pull away. Their aggressive defense held the Falcons in check and the Vikings offense began to center around the man in the center. Powell went 5 of 5 from the floor, scoring 11 points in the quarter, two more than the entire Falcon team in the third quarter. After one steal, Powell had a free look at the rim and performed a one-handed dunk, electrifying the few students who attened during finals week. An 11-0 run to end the third quarter propelled the Vikings to a 42-26 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Powell continued his hot streak, hitting his seventh and eighth straight buckets. Powell was benched with four minutes left in the game for the first time. With the game firmly in hand, Powell took a well deserved rest, finishing with 22 points, 13 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 3 steals. Powell did not miss a shot in the second half making two free throws and seven field goals.

The rest of the Vikings carried the load for the remaining four minutes. Junior Will Goodspeed came off the bench firing, scoring six points in the remainder of the fourth quarter. Scott, no longer in foul trouble, was able to play aggressive and he finished with six points, five assists and five steals. Bakken never got going, but he didn’t need to with Powell taking over the game.

The game was never pretty. Each team had double-digits in turnovers. The physical play combined with the perhaps overanxious referees resulted in a combined 34 fouls during the game.

Powell did even more for the team that the stats will show. His presence inside frustrated the Falcons offense all night and allowed the other Vikings to play aggresive on the perimeter, knowing that the big man would bail them out.

Though Tuesday’s win was comforting for the Vikings, they have an uphill road in front of them. This Friday, the Vikings will play their most important game thus far when they head across town to face rival Gunn, with the league lead on the line.

For the Vikings, a win at Gunn (14-5, 3-1) would provide an enormous morale boost for a team still struggling to find its stride. The Viking have won two games in a row four times this year and the first three attempts at three straight ended in defeat. The Vikings hope to end that pattern on Friday.

The Titans, led by senior Peter Jordan, have not beaten the Vikings in three years but have the talent and motivation to end the streak.

The game will be the fourth and final of Gunn’s quad night. Tip-off begins at 7:45 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19. If the Vikings expect to beat the Titans, they cannot expect to jump on the back of one player like they did on Tuesday.