KINGSTON, Ont. - The Vikings men's basketball team continue to look for answers to stop their current losing streak, as it was pushed to four games on Wednesday, after falling 71-68 in a heartbreaker to Loyalist College.

Looking to use the full crowd to their advantage, the Vikings appeared to be off to a great start but were quickly frustrated by their lack of offensive success with the Loyalist Lancers forcing SLC to take tough shots and shoot just 23 per cent in the first half.

The Vikings would bounce back in the second quarter and outscore the Lancers 12-7, bringing the game back within reach, down just by three at halftime.

But in the third quarter, the Lancers took complete control of the game, whether it was through getting the ball down low or using the three-point line, it appeared for several minutes that Loyalist was going to run away with the game.

The fourth quarter quickly became a tipping point for the Vikings, where they could either continue to allow Loyalist to stay in the drivers seat, or they could battle back and show their resiliency. Fortunately, SLC was able to tighten up defensively and take better shots on offence. With the team essentially trading baskets during the quarter, Andrew Dawkins decided to take control of the game, recording 11 points in the final two minutes.

The scoring streak included back-to-back three-pointers, two foul shots, and another three with just two seconds remaining. On the next in-bound, the Lancers were able to avoid the foul and run out the clock, coming away with the 71-68 victory. Dawkins finished with a team-high 21 points.

SLC is only off for two days, and will host the Canadore College Panthers (North Bay, Ont.) on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m.

Source: St. Lawrence College